Putting something back

When the sun shines, laying gas pipes in the open air can be an appealing job.

But recruits for a new National Grid Transco scheme are expected to stick at the job all year round; and that can be a challenge for people like Tom Evans who have never really had a full time job before.

Tom is a former offender who's spent almost four years in jail.

He took up the training as he prepared to leave Reading Prison, and now he's convinced he's found a job that can help him to stay out of trouble, and hopefully prison.

This scheme trains young offenders to work as gas fitters and gas workers out in the field.

It is run for offenders who, on their release, are placed in a job either working directly with Transco or with one of their contractors.

New recruits start on £6.50 a day but after 18 months they can be earning around £22,000 a year.

That's a powerful incentive to stick with the job.

"It's a new start, it's a career...you can go places, you're not always going to be laying gas pipes, you can go to the top.

It's good money and a great opportunity," says Tom.

Skills gap

And for National Grid Transco, it's an important part of their work with the community and a good way of plugging the skills gap their industry is facing.

"We have a strong track-record in community work," says Dr Mary Harris of National Grid Transco.

"This project meets the twin needs of our industry and community".

70% of National Grid Transco's employees are over 50 so there is an urgent need to recruit well motivated and well qualified engineers.

Tom: "It's given me a normal life."

At the moment this scheme is run at Reading and in four other prisons across the country, taking on about 100 new staff a year.

But there are plans to roll-out the scheme to areas like construction and haulage.

Screening

Recruits for the scheme go through a rigorous selection process.

The staff at the prison are involved in this and do a full risk assessment of the prisoner before putting his name forward.

This is then followed up with an interview with the firm or one of its contractors.

There also has to be a desire on the part of the prisoner to make it work.

"You've got to want to work but yes, it's great," says Tom.

Tim Jones says a regular job and a settled income is helping him to build a new life.

"I've got a flat and a girlfriend and money.

"It's something I never would have had if I'd carried on the way I was going."

All of the trainees get NVQ1 qualifications along with health and safety and road safety qualifications which are a good foot on the ladder to a stable career.

And this scheme itself has won a national award for helping to rehabilitate young offenders.

So far 15 people have completed the scheme; 12 are now working in the industry, none have re-offended.

If you or your company is interested in finding out more about Business in the Community, click on the link above.