Mayor will call on construction sector to hire ex-offenders

Companies including Crossrail, Transport for London, the Olympic Delivery Authority and Bovis Lend Lease have taken a lead on placing ex-offenders on their sites and the mayor is hoping to encourage others to do the same under an initiative to be launched next week.

The mayor claims that those who secure employment are 50% less likely to re-offend.

Explaining why the construction sector in particular had been targeted by the mayor, a spokesperson told Building: “There’s a history of the discipline and teamwork in construction working. It’s something that young offenders have had an interest in pursuing.”