{"id":36504,"date":"2025-07-04T12:31:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-04T11:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocs.com\/uk\/?post_type=customer-stories&#038;p=36504"},"modified":"2025-10-09T09:19:06","modified_gmt":"2025-10-09T08:19:06","slug":"creating-opportunities-at-the-nec-through-inclusive-employment-and-social-mobility-programmes","status":"publish","type":"customer-stories","link":"https:\/\/ocs.com\/uk\/customer-stories\/creating-opportunities-at-the-nec-through-inclusive-employment-and-social-mobility-programmes\/","title":{"rendered":"People: Creating opportunities at the NEC through inclusive employment and social mobility programmes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n    <section id=\"block_acf-block-68e50c9e5a097\"  class=\"block_text_image max-w-8xl mx-auto w-full px-4 py-6 md:py-[72px]\">\n        <div class=\"w-full px-4  md:px-8 lg:px-[54px] rounded-3xl\" style=\"background-color: #FFFFFF\">\n            <div class=\"relative flex flex-col gap-8 lg:gap-16 items-stretch justify-center  lg:flex-row-reverse \">\n            <div class=\"relative w-full lg:w-1\/2  h-[400px]  lg:h-auto aspect-[3\/2] lg:aspect-auto overflow-auto rounded-3xl \">\n                            <picture>\n                    <source srcset=\"https:\/\/ucarecdn.com\/507107c9-7a7b-4fcb-9601-f53db13e2cac\/-\/format\/auto\/-\/quality\/smart\/-\/preview\/768x768\/\" media=\"(max-width: 640px)\" type=\"image\/jpg\">\n                    <source srcset=\"https:\/\/ucarecdn.com\/507107c9-7a7b-4fcb-9601-f53db13e2cac\/-\/format\/auto\/-\/quality\/smart\/-\/preview\/1024x1024\/\" type=\"image\/jpg\">\n                    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ucarecdn.com\/507107c9-7a7b-4fcb-9601-f53db13e2cac\/-\/format\/auto\/-\/quality\/smart\/-\/preview\/1024x1024\/\" alt=\"A large digital screen outside displays \u201cWelcome to the NEC\u201d at the National Exhibition Centre, with clear blue sky and green grass in the foreground.\" class=\"object-cover w-full h-full rounded-3xl\" \/>\n                <\/picture>\n                    <\/div>\n                <div class=\"flex flex-col justify-center w-full lg:w-1\/2 gap-8 lg:py-6\">\n                            <h2 class=\"text-ocs-gray-nav font-medium text-[36px] md:text-[44px] lg:mb-2 leading-[44px] md:leading-[54px] text-crop\">Introduction<\/h2>\n                                        <div class=\"text-ocs-gray-nav prose\">\n                    <p>As part of our dedication to social mobility, OCS works with a variety of strategic partners through our People into Work (PiW) team to help with OCS\u2019 commitment to provide sustainable employment and help people who face barriers to employment, back into work.<\/p>\n<p>Our partnerships extend further and can be ran at a contract level \u2013 3 years ago our team at the NEC in Birmingham formed a strategic partnership with Pilot IMS to launch a traineeship or Sector-Based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs) offered to anyone over the age of 19 who is out of work and looking for a role in security. The traineeship lasts on average 3 weeks and provides candidates with: elements of customer service training, door supervisor training, emergency first aid at work certificate, spectator safety level 2. The candidates will also have several days of observation on site to shadow a security team member.<\/p>\n<p>Our partnership with PilotIMS and other strategic partners has meant that candidates who have been faced with these challenges (long-term unemployment or barriers to work) have been provided the means to build confidence and purpose once again helping them to gain the skills required to get back into work.<\/p>\n                <\/div>\n                        <!-- icons -->\n                        <!-- buttons -->\n                                                <!-- quote -->\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n\n\n\n    <section id=\"block_acf-block-68e50c9e5a0ec\"  class=\"block_text_image max-w-8xl mx-auto w-full px-4 py-6 md:py-[72px]\">\n        <div class=\"w-full px-4  md:px-8 lg:px-[54px] rounded-3xl\" style=\"background-color: #FFFFFF\">\n            <div class=\"relative flex flex-col gap-8 lg:gap-16 items-stretch justify-center  lg:flex-row \">\n            <div class=\"relative w-full lg:w-1\/2  h-[400px]  lg:h-auto aspect-[3\/2] lg:aspect-auto overflow-auto rounded-3xl \">\n                            <picture>\n                    <source srcset=\"https:\/\/ucarecdn.com\/16f093e1-d446-4b0b-9fd7-ffe2d1ebf90c\/-\/format\/auto\/-\/quality\/smart\/-\/preview\/768x768\/\" media=\"(max-width: 640px)\" type=\"image\/jpg\">\n                    <source srcset=\"https:\/\/ucarecdn.com\/16f093e1-d446-4b0b-9fd7-ffe2d1ebf90c\/-\/format\/auto\/-\/quality\/smart\/-\/preview\/1024x1024\/\" type=\"image\/jpg\">\n                    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ucarecdn.com\/16f093e1-d446-4b0b-9fd7-ffe2d1ebf90c\/-\/format\/auto\/-\/quality\/smart\/-\/preview\/1024x1024\/\" alt=\"Three people stand together by a lakeside on a sunny day. The person in the middle wears a yellow reflective vest, while the other two, a woman and a man, are dressed in business attire and smiling at the camera.\" class=\"object-cover w-full h-full rounded-3xl\" \/>\n                <\/picture>\n                    <\/div>\n                <div class=\"flex flex-col justify-center w-full lg:w-1\/2 gap-8 lg:py-6\">\n                            <h2 class=\"text-ocs-gray-nav font-medium text-[36px] md:text-[44px] lg:mb-2 leading-[44px] md:leading-[54px] text-crop\">Tarik\u2019s Journey<\/h2>\n                                        <div class=\"text-ocs-gray-nav prose\">\n                    <p>In 2024 one of our People into Work partners Reed in Partnership referred a candidate \u2013 Tarik to the scheme. Tarik had been going through a period of long-term unemployment and was keen to build up his skills and confidence to get back into work.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>In January 2024, Tarik went through the training programme and successfully secured security role with OCS.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Tarik also worked at some high-profile events at the ICC impressing management staff. The work ethic and attitude Tarik showed, impressed OCS management that they started the process to offer him a full-time role with OCS.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Today, Tarik works as part of the traffic security division at OCS and is a highly valued member of the team.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Speaking with the contract Tarik said: \u201cIt\u2019s been life changing coming here, this is like my family.\u201d<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n                <\/div>\n                        <!-- icons -->\n                        <!-- buttons -->\n                                                <!-- quote -->\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>OCS delivered an inclusive employment programme at the NEC in partnership with Pilot IMS, creating pathways into security roles and helping people back into sustainable work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":10000023920,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"contract-type":[],"key-criteria":[408],"location":[152],"sector":[],"service-type":[143],"class_list":["post-36504","customer-stories","type-customer-stories","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - 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