Our Turning Points programme for Spring 2022 has been a brilliant success. We were seriously impressed with our participants during the 4-week programme, all of whom were paid the Real Living Wage, and we are pleased to welcome a new team member into the Kenny Waste Management family.
Background
We have a vision that all workplaces will be truly inclusive and create bright futures for all. That’s why Driving Change (Kenny Waste Management Social Enterprise Ltd) is structured by three signature programmes that strategically address some of the biggest barriers to employment.
Turning Points is one of these signature programmes, enhancing long-term employment prospects by arranging work-based activity such as placements, role shadowing, and job trials.
We identified the need to attract new recruits and enhance skills in the workforce of the waste management sector, and we understand that opportunities need to be sector-specific in order to really build confidence and enhance employability. By providing those opportunities within our own business, we have increased our recruitment pool and taken on willing new team members while supporting our local community. In this respect, our Social Enterprise creates a win-win situation.
Collaborating with Salford Foundation, our charity partner, we designed a comprehensive Theory of Change, which helps us describe how our signature programmes are making a real difference. The outcomes for Turning Points are defined as:
- Improved confidence and motivation.
- Increased job readiness and employability.
“Some people in life don’t even get a first chance, let alone a second one. Turning Points is about building confidence in the world of work and a sense of pride for individuals who may not have had some of the opportunities many take for granted. The programme provides sector-specific training and real avenues for professional development, such as interview skills. We base our activities on structured theory and our practical experience helping people from disadvantaged backgrounds. I’d like to extend a huge thank you to everyone involved for making ‘Turning Points: Spring 2022’ such a brilliant success.”
– Alex Mayes, Responsible Business Manager at Kenny Waste Management
Turning Points: Spring 2022
For our Spring 2022 cohort, we decided to collaborate with Frameworks Training to provide a range of opportunities that extend between the waste and construction sectors. We began with a group exercise to kick off the programme, assessing teamwork and communication skills in a way focused on potential rather than experience.
Lack of training or relevant experience is a real barrier to employment so, in the first phase, each person on the scheme spent a few days shadowing a different employee to gain an understanding of their role and responsibilities: Skip Driver, Bin Loader, Banksman. During the second phase, they built up to full-time shifts and real work hours (including 4am starts). This incline is a necessary part of confidence-building, which the programme is built around, as participants had been experiencing long-term unemployment and may not have had a work/life routine.
Time was also allocated for participants to complete training for their CSCS card, facilitated by Frameworks Training, which enables individuals to work on construction sites. This gave the participants an asset for the future, whatever their ambitions and future prospects.
“This was a fantastic programme to be involved with from the start and the commitment shown by each candidate has played a massive part in its success. By identifying common themes between the Waste Management and Construction industries, it is hoped that we have provided the level of experience and awareness training required to sustain meaningful employment for the foreseeable future.”
– Gary Watson, Director at Frameworks Training and Safety Services Ltd
Essential training was also provided including First Aid, Manual Handling, Banking, and Working at Height.
We are determined to enable Turning Points participants to enter work after completing the programme, so opportunities are provided for employment and further support on completion. On the final day of the Spring 2022 programme, we invited all the participants to interview for the same job.
They were all impressive and it was almost impossible to choose our final candidate as they all had unique skills, so the business decided to offer everyone a role in the business.
“I’ve never been anywhere for an interview that was so open minded. I lost my job at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and being out of work was really draining me. To be given this opportunity based on my efforts and attitude, without worrying about having to explain gaps in my CV, was amazing. Within a week, my head was completely work-focused again, and I was able to pick myself up. Meeting others in the same boat as me gave me a real boost in confidence and inspired me to give my best. I am proud that I have managed to stick at it, get up at 4am and do a physically tiring job which brings some new challenge to overcome every day.”
– Participant, Turning Points: Spring 2022
Programme Statistics
We asked the participants to take several surveys throughout the programme to track their progress, the results of their final evaluation survey showed:
- All would recommend the programme.
- All felt excited and energised about their future.
- All agreed that they were ready for the wider world of work.
To learn more about Driving Change and our full range of social enterprise activities, please visit our dedicated webpage.
