A few weeks ago I visited the offices of The Wire Project in Leicester. It was a fascinating chance to look at how it is possible for someone to have a second chance and turn their lives around.
The Wire Project was set up by Leicestershire Cares to give people a second chance. There is an undeniable stigma associated with ex-offenders, which in turn makes their attempts at securing employment nearly impossible. This more often than not, leads to re-offending. The Wire Project aims to tackle this issue. The Wire Project helps to integrate ex-offenders back into the community with the support of local businesses by providing short term work placements.
And today, The Wire Project got in touch to tell me about their latest success story – a chap named Paul who had joined the Wire Project in September 2019.
He had been out of work for over 12 months and was looking for permanent employment. Paul had an interest in Engineering, having studied this subject at university a number of years ago, however his lack of work experience was proving to be a barrier when it came to applying for jobs.
Paul participated in one of our Employability Workshops and was matched with one of our member businesses, Terex Corporation. Terex Corporation is a global manufacturer of lifting and material processing products. Terex were really impressed with Paul when they interviewed him for an unpaid work placement. His knowledge about Engineering shone through, and he was given the opportunity to work on site to gain valuable experience within the manufacturing department.
Paul completed his work placement in October 2019 and Terex provided Paul with a glowing reference which outlined his hard work, commitment and professionalism. He was given guidance on what next steps he could take in order to get into the Engineering industry, and Paul said that he had thoroughly enjoyed the placement and felt it did wonders for his confidence, as well as gaining valuable skills and experience that would help him in the future. Paul was the first Wire participant that Terex had taken on placement, so this was a huge success all round.
Following this, Paul moved onto a placement on a construction site with Barratt Homes, during which he again demonstrated his enthusiasm and commitment to work. This paid off when Paul successfully completed a work trial and interview with Leicester City Council and was offered a full-time position in their grounds maintenance team.
Paul said, “The WIRE project has given me a great opportunity to explore new job avenues and gain experience with those different avenues to know if they suit me. It has also opened my eyes to how many people and companies want to help convicted criminals, so just because I have a conviction doesn't mean it's the end of my work career. Everyone working with the WIRE project has been so helpful… and I feel safe talking about anything to the staff. I would wish everyone seeking employment gains their help."
You can find out more about The Wire Project and Leicestershire Cares on their website : https://www.leicestershirecares.co.uk/
