Empowering ex-offenders with maths skills
We have some great news to share from one of our subcontractors, Xyrius, who delivers the Multiply programme on behalf of the Growth Company in Wigan.
Xyrius have supported the Rebuild with Hope project utilising the Pan GM Multiply funding to help rehabilitate ex-offenders at their Wigan branch and equip them with maths skills to support them with their transition to employment.
Rebuild with Hope is a Wigan-based charity that mentors and supports ex-offenders post release by providing employment opportunities and wrap around support to make the transition back into their communities as smooth as possible.
The participants have less than six months of their sentences to complete and are on day release at Rebuild with Hope, where many work in the warehouse.
Xyrius was approached by Adrian Fields, who overseas Rebuild with Hope training programmes, to see if they could tailor a specific programme for those working in the warehouse with low or no qualifications in maths and were struggling with concepts of stock control, area, and volume.
Xyrius devised a number of exercises for the cohorts, so that they could carry out tasks and better understand the workings of a warehouse, including planning a layout.
The team made the sessions as engaging as possible, with practical tasks like cutting out shapes and fitting them together, puzzles, maths quizzes and theoretical sessions with real life issues.
All of the cohorts found the sessions fun and helpful, the participants were better able to understand layouts of warehouses, work out stock shortages and values, and identify shapes and volumes.
This helped them while working in the warehouse as they could now understand how maths can be applied to their work environment and even attempted simple geometry – without realising.
If you are interested in finding out more about Multiply, and how it can work for you, please email Multily@growthco.uk.
