ISS pilot partnership helping people back to work

ISS has helped its first group of members back into employment in Liverpool through a pilot partnership with social enterprise, Community Shop and sustainable waste management company, Biffa.

Through the pilot, members from Biffa’s social enterprise Community Shop can apply for employment opportunities with ISS, being fast tracked to the interview process. ISS provide a range of jobs from cleaning and food services to project management and commercial positions. The first four Community Shop members have secured cleaning roles at a local hospital in Halton, Liverpool.

Community Shop is a network of 13 social supermarkets, and forms part of Company Shop Group, the UK’s leading redistributor of surplus products, which was acquired by Biffa in 2021. Community Shop supports some of the most deprived areas of UK, providing its members with vital access to deeply discounted surplus food and essentials as well as life-changing learning and development programmes.

As part of the development programmes on offer, Community Shop runs Progress Academy, which is divided up into two parts – pre-employment training and employment. Pre-employment training enables members to gain new skills, qualifications and confidence to re-enter the workplace in partnership with Complete Skills Solutions. Within this pilot, ISS then facilitates the employment part of the Progress Academy, which supports members back into work.

Steve Jones, Head of Employability at ISS UK & Ireland, said: “At ISS, we’re committed to delivering social value for our people and communities, so we’re delighted to be partnering with Biffa to help people back into work across the UK. This initiative is an excellent example of what good can be achieved through collaboration, local partnerships with Jobcentre Plus and training providers and a desire to make a difference. Our inclusive recruitment approach focusses on working with partners to help people furthest from employment into careers that offer them opportunity and the chance to develop and grow.”

Frankey Taylor, Corporate Account Director at Biffa, commented: “It’s been brilliant to see this partnership come to fruition – we first started talking about the possibility almost two years ago and it’s something we were all very passionate about. A key part of our strategy at Biffa is investing in our communities and our people. Through our social enterprise, Community Shop, we strive to give people the opportunity to unlock the skills and confidence they need to help them into employment, and it is brilliant to see the members taking up new job opportunities.”

Gary Stott, Executive Chairman for Community Shop, added: “I’m incredibly excited about this pilot partnership; we’re always looking for opportunities for how we can further support our members and through this partnership, we’re able to provide them with high quality pre-employment training, as well as opening up new potential pathways for employment. This is what we are all about at Community Shop – we want to support the people and communities who need our help, as well as giving out food, and provide our members with the tools they need to live well, and skills they require to get back into work.”