We give a warm welcome our latest recruit, Rob Parker, who has literally hit the ground running. More of that later…
Rob joins us as an electrical apprentice, and his route to Ameon was not a conventional one, because he joins having secured a work placement through the government’s Custody 2 Work programme (C2W), which was administered by HMP Kirkham.
His application to work with Ameon was candid and articulate and demonstrated a real determination to look forward, not backwards in his life. By publicising his appointment with us he hopes to inspire others in similar circumstances to those in which he found himself previously, and demonstrate that with the help of an enlightened employer, there is the potential for a second chance, if people are willing to embrace it.
For the 33-year-old from Cumbria, the road to rehabilitation began when he received his sentence, which he described as the first day of his new life. From that point, rather than sit and look at four walls, the one-time apprentice electrician planned for life back in society by sending letters and c/v to companies he researched in the library at HMP Kirkham, and by volunteering for the C2W scheme, which prepares those in the justice system for a return to the workplace. Those two decisions turned Rob’s life around, and despite Covid lockdowns halting apprenticeship training for a while, he has left prison with a job with real prospects, and in a company proud of its social responsibilities.
Now back to the running…
When sentenced, one of Rob’s burning ambitions was to run a marathon, and of course get back into society with a career. Well, he’s achieved the latter, and in October this year he’ll achieve the former when he runs in the Manchester Marathon: his first ever! He’ll run the marathon to raise funds for Brian House Children’s Hospice, as part of ‘Ameon 25’, the programme of activities created to support good causes in the company’s 25th anniversary year.
Says Rob: “I accepted my sentence as justified but I didn’t want it to define my life, which is why I viewed my release as the first step on the road back! That road was opened up by the C2W scheme and by Ameon, who took a chance on me. And it’s a chance I don’t intend to squander.”
Principal contract manager, Dave Scott, is the man responsible for Rob’s appointment. He had no hesitation in offering him a job and is in no doubt that he’ll be a success. He comments: “The minute I read Rob’s letter I knew this young man had the intellect to understand his predicament and also the nous to know how to change his circumstances for the future.
“Sometimes it’s difficult for people to see beyond the label but in truth, Rob’s a really nice lad and very keen to learn. And his appointment proves that even if we make mistakes, everyone is capable of making a positive contribution if they have the chance; therefore more opportunities like this can only be good for businesses and society as a whole.”
We wish Rob well in his new career…and we’ll be cheering him on in the marathon later this year!
