Exciting Employment Opportunities for HMP Wymott Learners

In June, HMP Wymott had a visit from the Director of Rehabilitation of Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation. The visit was organised through the Novus Resettlement and Employment service partnering with the Prison Employment Lead from the Employment Hub. 

Six learners were invited to attend a presentation morning followed by an afternoon of interviews for potential job opportunities. The Director of Rehabilitation provided an Iceland presentation which included detailed information about Iceland and the role the company plays in recruiting former prisoners on their 'Second Chance' scheme. There was also an opportunity at the end for learners to ask questions before the interviews begun. 

Employment support for learners

Thanks to the support from the Novus Resettlement and Employment service, the selected learners received support with their CV drafting, interview techniques and guidance on confidentiality information sharing in relation to convictions. 

The event was a huge success with learners being excited to have a one-to-one interview. Each interview lasted 30-40 minutes, and after the interviews the learners felt at ease and confident, with positive comments including: 

We shared our offences and felt confident as the interviewer informed us about confidentiality and disclosures, we were happy to openly share the information without prejudice.

The Director of Rehabilitation provided positive feedback with five out of the six learners interviewed, having been successful and received a contracted job offer upon release from prison. 

The event was well received by both learners and the Director of Rehabilitation for Iceland Food Charitable Foundation, who shared that he would "like to offer his services again to Novus and the Prison Employment Lead for any future employability events". 

Employability events like this, give learners the opportunity to find employment and have a job lined up before they are released, which will help to reduce reoffending rates. As well as, giving learners valuable knowledge and experience on how to navigate the interview and application process so that they can feel more confident in applying for jobs upon release. 

Finding employment upon release is fundamental to the successful rehabilitation of offenders. To learn more about our employment support and how to get involved, head over to our employment section on the website.