EMPLOYMENT
Some beneficiaries are found employment straight away through sympathetic employment agencies. All other beneficiaries are directly employed by Aspire and placed in six month paid work placements

Paid work placements are either “in house” or with external employers. In house placements are available in IT Recycling and during 2006 further opportunities will be available in textile recycling and “Home Services” (painting and decorating and construction trades. Training and employment opportunities in e-commerce applications are also being developed.

External placements are with sympathetic mainstream employers who provide up to six months work experience (at no cost to themselves) in return for guaranteeing each beneficiary an interview for a permanent vacancy.

In this context Ex-Cell has recently been commissioned by Manchester Drugs and Alcohol Team to deliver the Ex-Cell Programme as a pilot to referrals from the new Resettlement Centre at Manchester Prison. This pilot will be used to test the effect of direct employment provision on resettlement outcomes. As a part of this pilot Manchester City Council will make available paid work placements within the City Works department. If successful this pilot will be rolled out to a wider cohort and to a wider range of placements within the City Council.