The Howard League for Penal Reform is helping ex-offenders earn a drivers licence - to keep the trucking industry moving.

It claims the cost of imprisoning a person for a year can fund training for 100 people in Class 2 to 5 licences.

That includes learning how to operate heavy-vehicles, road works, farm machinery and forklifts.

Chief Executive Mike Williams told Mike Hosking just about anyone can get work with such a licence.

“There’s a shortage of truck drivers, which was filled for years by immigration, but of course there’s no immigration at the moment because of Covid-19.”

Williams says they would jump at the chance of a job,  rather than go on the dole.

He says those who go out looking for jobs want to go straight and don't want to lapse back into crime.

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