A partnership between Surrey Police and Amey that aims to equip young, disadvantaged people from across the county with the skills necessary to enter the workplace and deter them from the streets, has led to an 18-year-old from Elmbridge securing a full-time role with Amey’s waste collection team.
Prior to working with Amey, which collects waste from homes across four Surrey councils including Mole Valley, Woking, Surrey Heath and Elmbridge, the teenager had been breaching lockdown restrictions due to unemployment-related boredom and interacting with police officers on a regular basis.
Surrey Police’s PC Jebb of the Elmbridge Youth Engagement Team, who had previously referred two young people to Amey for work experience, had built a relationship with the young man and his parents, and felt that a placement with the waste collection firm would help.
After providing Covid cover for a long-term staff member and proving himself to be a valued member of the team, the teen was offered a permanent contract at the beginning of March.
PC Jebb comments: “Initially, only unpaid work experience was available, but he was determined to do something positive. After receiving glowing reports from the staff at Amey for eight weeks, he was offered paid temporary work, which has now progressed to a full-time role. He has worked really hard for this opportunity and has a great attitude, so it is thoroughly well-deserved. Amey has been brilliant and extremely supportive, and we are hoping that this will give him the chance of a brighter future.”
The move follows a series of Amey initiatives designed to help young people that have been rolled out in March. These include a virtual work experience programme, which provided 24 students with insight into Amey’s Highways business, and supporting the government’s Kickstart Scheme by helping those in Surrey whose job prospects have been affected by Covid-19.
Nicola Blake, Account Director for Amey’s Waste Collections Services Team in Surrey, adds: “It’s important that we not only positively impact the county through service delivery, but also by helping to shape the communities we’ve been appointed to serve. Amey is committed to developing youth skills and providing opportunities to learn wherever possible, whether that involves working with the police or helping ex-military personnel make the transition to civilian life.”
Amey launched its Social Value Plan in 2020, which commits to investing in people and helping those facing barriers into employment, supporting suppliers, achieving net zero carbon emissions and transforming local communities.