Ingeus’ newly appointed Business Support Manager Sally Allison hopes her recent job move will persuade other jobseekers, including fellow veterans, to widen their career sights. 
 
Forty-one-year-old Sally spent a large part of her working life with the British Army and took part in operations in Bosnia, Iraq and Northern Ireland. She also spent time in more peaceful areas, such as the Black Forest, the Mourne Mountains and the Scottish Highlands whilst on training exercises.
 
Now a new recruit at Ingeus, her role is a key element of Commissioned Rehabilitative Services (CRS), delivered on behalf of Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, to work with offenders and reduce their risk of reoffending.
 
“I applied for the position because I believe that everyone deserves a second chance,” said Sally who leads a team of ten colleagues, covering five different delivery regions. The support includes education, training, and employment as well as guidance concerning personal wellbeing and lifestyle choices.
 
Sally left the British Army after 17 years. She was part of the Adjutant Generals’ Corps (Staff and Personnel Support) providing Human Resources and Business Operations support to personnel all over the world. Since leaving the British Army, Sally has worked for a college in Hampshire; the local county council; and the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service.
 
She commented: “I am thoroughly enjoying my work with Ingeus and the opportunity to shape how our business support is delivered. Leadership of a team is a privilege, and I am so proud of how quickly we’ve all got to grips with a whole new way of working.
 
“I would urge other people to think about how their expertise and skills can be transferred to other industries. Not having previous experience in a sector can actually be an advantage; you’re coming into a role with new eyes and a fresh perspective rather than following an approach because it’s always been done that way.”

A young man who fled war-torn Syria to make a better life for himself has clinched an exciting new job thanks to the JETS North West Programme. Husam Numan joined the programme in Liverpool earlier this year after his attempts to find work proved to be unsuccessful. Husam arrived in the UK as a refugee from Turkey five years ago, having fled Syria in 2013.
 
Upon arriving in Britain, Husam was eager to integrate into society and started researching the history of the UK. As a musician who plays the oud – a type of Middle-Eastern lute – he began to investigate traditional English and Scottish folk music. He contacted other musicians living nearby and performed with them. After receiving his residence permit, he took his IELTs English language exam, which he passed first time, and then secured a place at university.
 
Husam graduated from the University of Liverpool with a Master’s degree in electrical and electronic engineering last year. Despite making a huge effort to find work, the pandemic was a major stumbling block. “Even senior engineers struggled to find a job during the pandemic,” says Husam, now aged 33. “Between September 2019 and January 2021, I applied to more than 150 graduate jobs, but all of them were unsuccessful.”
 
Husam was referred to Job Entry Targeted Support (JETS), a separate strand of the Work and Health Programme (WHP), delivered in Liverpool by Ingeus. It is commissioned and financed by the Department for Work and Pensions and deemed to be a European Social Fund match funded programme.
 
Liverpool Jobcentre Plus work coach Martin referred Husam to JETS and put him in touch with Ingeus employment coach Kenneth Inglis. “Kenneth could immediately understand my situation,” says Husam. “It turned out that self-confidence was my issue and Kenneth’s professional and motivational advice was invaluable.”
 
Kenneth helped Husam to improve his interview technique and find out where he had been going wrong. In March, Husam’s work with JETS paid off when he secured a high-level job as an electrical design engineer. “Kenneth helped me so much and I don’t think I would have been accepted without his tips,” says Husam, who has recently moved to Blackburn. “He wasn’t just somebody doing his work, he was like a friend and he really assisted me. He told me things I didn’t know about interviews and advised me on how to answer questions and deal with the interviewer.”