Mitie has given the opportunity to a specially selected group of Crisis members to learn crucial work skills. Crisis is the national charity for single homeless people and is dedicated to ending homelessness by delivering life changing services and campaigning for change.
Volunteers from Mitie gave up hours of their time to help members completely transform a major office area at their Crisis Skylight centre in London by providing a ten week foundation course into building maintenance. Members learned basic electrical, mechanical and plumbing skills from Mitie staff that will enable them to work at an engineer assistant or handy man level.
Prior to Mitie's offer to run the maintenance course, the space was unusable and after two weeks of hard work, the 12 members had transformed it into a clean and comfortable office space.
Mitie Engineer Craig O'Keefe and Regional Operations Manager Andy Bartlett led the majority of the building classes. Prior to joining the company, Craig had been in the army for a number of years and when he left in March 2010 came to Mitie via Veteran's Aid.
Craig commented: "Because I'd come out of the army, I'd been in a similar situation where I was unemployed and although I had skills, I had no idea how to transfer them. I didn't have a base and I can understand where these guys are at.”
Mitie has also offered the opportunity for work experience with a number of their clients once members have completed the course.
