Working with Sodexo to provide more employment opportunities for learners

Recently, HMP Wymott had a visit from Sodexo who gave a presentation to learners around the opportunities within Sodexo as a career pathway. The event was organised by the Novus employment team at HMP Wymott and the Employment Resettlement Coordinator generated interest from learners. 

Sodexo are a 'Ban the Box' employer and don't discriminate against any offenses, taking each offence on a case-by-case basis. Upon learning this, learners were thrilled to know that their offences didn't have to be a barrier to working. 

What is Ban the Box? 

Ban the Box is an initiative aiming to remove the convictions tick box from job applications, so that people with convictions can fairly compete for jobs. 

One of the many struggles of former learners trying to find employment upon release, is that they often struggle with getting past the application part of the recruitment process, due to them having to tick 'yes' to the question about convictions. 

Banning the Box means employers can consider candidates on merit first, benefiting both employers and applicants, as applicants are not put off applying and employers have a wider talent pool to choose from.

The Sodexo visit at HMP Wymott

The event at HMP Wymott started with an overview of who Sodexo are, the types of roles that are available, the potential for progression via apprenticeships and support. Emily, who works for Sodexo and gave the presentation to learners, also spoke about the industries Sodexo work in such as corporate services, energy and resources and technology services amongst many others. 

Emily highlighted the key skills learners would need to work on whilst in custody that would help them in a new career such as, communication skills, teamwork, flexibility, reliability, and punctuality along with a positive attitude and a willingness to learn and progress. The event finished with a Q&A session giving learners the opportunity to find out more information as well as submitting their interest form and CV. 

The event was a huge success, and the feedback from learners who attended the event was great, as they felt that the roles on offer were of value especially the apprenticeship programme and the possibility to progress within the company. All learners who participated in the event submitted their CVs and will be referred to Sodexo on their release from custody. 

Having the opportunity to attend employment events like this is extremely important. Not only are learners able to learn more about different career pathways and submit their interest, but they are also being shown how to overcome the barriers to employment, giving them the confidence, knowledge and skills needed to find employment 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.