What The Recruitment Junction does

The Recruitment Junction is a UK-registered charity (Charity Commission number 1191442), founded in 2020 and headquartered in Newcastle upon Tyne, that places people with prior convictions into sustainable paid employment across the North East of England. Its core service is an end-to-end recruitment pathway: in-person work-readiness assessments, CV and qualification renewal, disclosure coaching, mock interviews, Right-to-Work document acquisition (birth certificates, NI evidence), interview outfitting, and 6 months of in-work mentoring. Complementary services include a Hardship Fund for emergency candidate support (travel, workwear, CSCS cards, homelessness aid), candidate qualification refreshers (CSCS, forklift, HGV, renewables), and a tiered Corporate Partnership Programme (Gold/Platinum) bundling specialist recruitment with social impact reporting. A distinctive channel is its Prison Interview Surgery programme at HMPs Durham, Holme House, and Northumberland, where employer partners interview pre-selected candidates near release and make conditional offers on-site. The charity reports cumulative 2021–2025 outcomes of 1,294 individuals supported, 897 placed into paid work, 66% six-month retention, and a sub-5% reoffending rate.

The revenue model is mixed. The primary funding base comprises charitable grants and contracts from over 80 foundations and government commissioners, including the National Lottery Community Fund, Ministry of Justice, HM Prison & Probation Service, Department for Work & Pensions, Henry Smith Charity, and Lloyds Bank Foundation. A secondary stream is corporate partnership fees paid by 42+ employer partners (Amey, Costain, Kier, BAM Construction, Greggs, Iceland, Greene King, Sodexo, Mitie, Arcus FM, Nando's, Timpson, NHS BSA and others), tiered by recruitment volume. Individual donations via PayPal and BACS feed the Hardship Fund. Reported unit economics are a £2,000 cost per candidate placed, covering one year of core support plus hardship expenditure. There is no proprietary technology platform; service delivery is human-led across a 13-person team operating from Newcastle (Merchant House) and Durham (Milburn House). The organisation holds five sector awards between 2021 and 2024, including the National Business Crime Solution Foundation Award and the Centre for Social Justice Award.

Name

The Recruitment Junction

Legal name

The Recruitment Junction

Website

https://therecruitmentjunction.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Recruitment Junction is a UK-registered charity founded in 2020 that recruits people with prior convictions into sustained paid work across the North East of England through screening, interview prep, post-placement mentoring, and partnerships with 42+ employers and over 80 funders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Offender Employment Services

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Employment Services (5613)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Job Placement, Matching & Career Navigation Services (EDAAAOAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Recruiting Administration Outsourcing (Recruitment Support, Scheduling, Onboarding Ops) (BPACAKAG), Workforce Development, Employment Readiness & Job Placement (BPADAKAE)

Keywords

• Offender employment services
• Ex-offender recruitment
• Criminal justice rehabilitation
• Social value recruitment
• Corporate partnership programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Newcastle

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Grants and Foundation Funding: The organisation receives grants and funding from over 80 foundations and commissioners including National Lottery Community Fund, Henry Smith Charity, Lloyds Bank Foundation, CABWI, Garfield Weston, EQ Foundation, and City & Guilds. This constitutes the primary revenue stream for operational costs.
2. Government Contracts and Commissioning: Funded by government bodies including Ministry of Justice, HM Prison & Probation Service, Department for Work & Pensions, PCC Northumbria Violence Reduction Partnership, and Newcastle City Council for delivering employment outcomes that reduce reoffending.
3. Corporate Partnership Fees: Gold or Platinum Corporate Partnerships with employers include specialist recruitment services and 6-month mentoring support. Partnership cost determined by annual volumes of recruitment. Includes brand alignment, good news stories, social impact reports, and speaking engagements.
4. Donations and Hardship Fund Contributions: Individual donations via PayPal and BACS transfer support the Hardship Fund which provides practical assistance to candidates including birth certificates, travel passes, workwear, CSCS cards, and emergency accommodation support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Recruitment Junction is an award-winning recruitment charity that places men and women with prior convictions into sustainable paid work across the North East of England. Its core service spans candidate identification, work-readiness screening, CV and disclosure coaching, interview preparation, and six months of in-work mentoring, augmented by a Corporate Partnership Programme for employers and a Hardship Fund that covers practical items such as birth certificates, CSCS cards, travel passes, and interview clothing.

Product overview

The Recruitment Junction operates as a single integrated recruitment charity rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Its core offering is a human-centred recruitment placement service that connects people with prior convictions to sustainable paid employment. This core service is supported by a suite of complementary service modules including pre-placement candidate support (assessments, CV creation, disclosure letters, Right-to-Work documents), interview preparation and support, a 6-month in-work mentoring programme, a Corporate Partnership Programme for employer engagement, a Prison Interview Surgery Programme, a Hardship Fund for emergency financial assistance, and candidate qualification and training services. These components function as an interconnected service pathway rather than separately sold products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Recruitment Placement Service Core recruitment placement service that identifies, prepares, and places men and women with prior convictions into sustainable paid work across the North East of England, encompassing work-readiness screening, CV and disclosure coaching, interview preparation, and six months of in-work mentoring for both candidates and employers.
• Corporate Partnership Programme Tiered Gold or Platinum corporate partnership offering for employers, providing specialist recruitment services, six-month in-work mentoring of placed candidates, social impact reports, brand alignment, diversity and inclusion speaking engagements, staff workshops, prison employer visits, and in-prison interview surgeries. Partnership cost is determined by annual recruitment volumes.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,294 individuals supported into work-readiness (2021-2025)
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AmeycoreOthersEnterprise employer partner in facilities management and infrastructure services. Engages with TRJ for specialist recruitment services to identify skilled workers from the ex-offender talent pool.
• CostaincoreOthersConstruction and infrastructure employer partner hiring candidates with convictions through TRJ's recruitment services and corporate partnership program.
• KiercoreOthersConstruction and services employer partner engaged with TRJ for specialist recruitment services and social value delivery.
• BAM ConstructioncoreOthersMajor construction company employer partner sourcing candidates with convictions through TRJ's recruitment services.
• GreggscoreOthersHigh street bakery retailer with corporate social responsibility program, hiring candidates with convictions through TRJ.
• Arcus FMcoreOthersFacilities management partner with dedicated social value agenda. Actively sources candidates with convictions and provides testimonial endorsement of TRJ's services.
• MitiecoreOthersFacilities management company engaged with TRJ for specialist recruitment services and diversity hiring programs.
• SodexocoreOthersFacilities management and catering employer partner sourcing candidates with convictions.
• HMP DurhamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrison partnership for interview surgeries where pre-selected men close to release meet employer partners for conditional job offers.
• HMP Holme HousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrison partnership for interview surgeries enabling employer engagement with candidates near release.
• HMP NorthumberlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrison partnership for interview surgeries with pre-selected candidates seeking employment.
• Oswin ProjectminorOthersPartner charity referring candidates to TRJ for employment support and job placement services.
• Oasis Community HousingminorOthersHousing charity partner referring candidates and providing accommodation support for TRJ clients.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Catch22: UK social-purpose charity delivering employment, justice, and education services including offender rehabilitation. Comparable as a multi-service charity with employment placement for people with criminal convictions, operating at national scale.
• The Forward Trust: UK charity delivering employability, training, and wellbeing services in prisons and the community for people with convictions. Comparable as a direct peer providing employment-focused rehabilitation support.
• Shaw Trust: Large UK charity delivering employment services for disadvantaged groups, including ex-offenders. Comparable as a direct provider of employment outcomes with government and employer contracts, though at significantly larger scale and broader population.
• Switchback: London-based charity supporting people leaving prison into sustained employment through mentoring and employer engagement. Comparable as a niche ex-offender employment charity with similar mentoring-led model.
• Nacro: UK charity running resettlement and employment programmes for people with convictions, including into construction and hospitality. Most direct national-scale counterpart to The Recruitment Junction in serving the same candidate population and employer segments.
• St Giles Trust: UK charity helping people facing severe disadvantage, including ex-offenders, into employment through casework and employer engagement. Comparable as a peer in employment-led rehabilitation work.

Broad incumbents

• Reed in Partnership: Subsidiary of Reed Recruitment delivering government-commissioned employment programmes including for disadvantaged groups. Comparable as a larger incumbent with overlapping relationships with DWP and similar outcome-based contracts.

Emerging players

• Working Chance: UK charity supporting people with criminal convictions into employment. Comparable as a niche employment-focused peer, though with a stronger national rather than regional remit.
• User Voice: UK charity amplifying the voices of people with convictions and supporting their reintegration, including into work. Comparable as a peer in the ex-offender support ecosystem, though with a stronger advocacy and less direct recruitment focus.

Regional players

• The Growth Company: Manchester-based social enterprise delivering employment, skills, and inclusion programmes across the North of England. Comparable as a regionally-focused employment-services provider serving disadvantaged populations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-recruitment-junction

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Recruitment Junction