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Breakthrough

Apprenticeships for ex-offenders

Breakthrough logo
1-20 employees
  • B2C
  • Recruitment
  • Training
  • Social Impact
  • Community
Finsbury Park, London, UK

Company mission

To select and train exceptional prison leavers to bring diverse, inspiring talent to businesses.

Our take

Finding employment in the UK with a criminal record is punishing work, even if the crime has no bearing on a candidate’s suitability or skillset. This work scarcity for ex-offenders both hikes up reoffending rates (which in the UK are some of the worst globally), and cuts potentially talented employees out of an already tight job market. Breakthrough has devised a neat win/win solution.

Breakthrough is an apprenticeship provider that recruits directly from prisons, and offers training in areas beyond typical ex-offender sectors like construction (which is already covered by UK organisations like Bounce Back). With Breakthrough’s training, Candidates can land fully-remunerated apprenticeship positions in software development and business administration.

This partnership also allows employers to access high quality employees, prove social impact, and increase diversity - all without paying the cost of training. Partnerships with the likes of Deloitte, Prince’s Trust, and Tech London Advocates will help Breakthrough get off the ground, as will a broader social pivot towards pressuring companies to exercise positive social impact.

Freddie headshot

Freddie

Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle

Company values

  • Ambition - We refuse to let prison leavers’ convictions limit their potential
  • Excellence - We strive for quality in all we do - from the training we provide to carefully selected cohorts, to the service we give to employers
  • Fairness - We believe that success requires mutual respect, inclusivity and a supportive culture. We treat everyone fairly and promote diversity in the workplace
  • We Play the Long Game - We build long-term relationships with people and organisations, so our apprentices excel in their careers and organisations get great value from our programme

Leadership

Originally a Lab Analyst at UCL, who then set up DN Educational Consulting and from there moved into first a Consultant, then a Lead role at PwC. Has worked as a Coach at StandOut, and is currently also a Biosciences Consultant at Scimitar Inc.