In 2023, Kärcher UK took a trip to HMP Stocken for a routine sales and service visit, which led to a major project aimed at supporting prisoners’ rehabilitation upon their release.
A Kärcher representative met with Paula Roe and Rick Robinson, HMP Stocken’s Activities and Unit Industries Managers. Their conversation soon turned to the country’s significant shortage of engineers and lack of interest among school leavers in STEM fields.
HMP Stocken is dedicated to providing a safe and educational environment for prisoners to learn new skills that will benefit them upon their release. Paula explained that there was a wealth of untapped potential among the individuals in the prison.
Upon leaving HMP Stocken, offenders often don’t have the opportunity to choose a better path in life. By offering them the chance to gain qualifications and practical work-related skills, it can help them secure employment, focus on positive changes and reduce the likelihood of reoffending. This gave rise to the creation of Kärcher’s Makes a Difference Workshop project.
The Kärcher UK team joined forces with HMP Stocken to bring the project to life. The Makes a Difference Workshop is scheduled to offer a 12-week course that will train participants in repairing Kärcher products. Upon completion, participants will have the opportunity to further their qualifications in this field.
The goal was not only to help offenders earn a qualification, but also to provide them with the complete Kärcher employee experience. Kärcher transformed and branded a workshop at the prison, incorporating the company’s purpose and values. This was crucial to ensure that participants would gain practical experience with Kärcher and become familiar with workshop aesthetics, better preparing them for the working world.
Having kicked off in March, the workshop series is already proving successful, with eight participants developing their skills.
Paula Roe said: “The whole of HMP Stocken is thrilled to be working with Kärcher, and we have become a flagship prison. Having Karcher invest in these men is a huge privilege and they feel proud to work in the training area and wear their uniform. Believing they can change is the start of a new journey for them. This partnership is very new and so exciting. We could never have dreamt that one simple conversation would lead to this.”
James Gordon, Marketing Director at Kärcher Professional UK, added: “We look forward to positively impacting the lives of participants and continuing our collaborative relationship with HMP Stocken.”
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