The RoleAre you practical, people-focused, and ready to make a real impact? We're looking for a
Workshop Instructor - Manufacturing & Recycling to lead a dynamic prison workshop focused on recycling and light manufacturing turning waste materials into valuable products like mattress toppers, pet beds, and pillows, while also supporting sustainability initiatives both locally and internationally.
This is not your average workshop. It's a space for purpose, progress, and second chances.
About the RoleAs the Instructor, you'll manage the daily operations of the recycling and production workshop, supervising a team of prisoners as they develop hands-on skills and contribute to meaningful, environmentally conscious projects.
You'll be responsible for setting work schedules, maintaining production quality, and ensuring the workshop runs safely and efficiently. You'll also play a key role in preparing individuals for future employment by embedding key employability skills into daily routines and supporting the delivery of warehousing qualifications where relevant.
Working closely with Work & Skills Coaches and custodial staff, you'll contribute to each prisoner's personal development and rehabilitation journey.
What You'll Be Doing - Induct prisoners into the workshop, covering health and safety, tool control, and production processes.
- Lead and motivate the workshop team, ensuring productivity, discipline, and personal growth.
- Manage daily production targets and quality standards to meet external contract requirements.
- Carry out regular health and safety risk assessments and maintain strict tool security in line with prison protocols.
- Support prisoners in developing transferable employability skills such as timekeeping, quality control, and teamwork.
- Deliver or support the assessment of warehousing qualifications where appropriate.
- Keep accurate records of attendance, productivity, and individual progress.
- Provide reports and feedback for sentence planning, ACCT reviews, and incident reporting.
- Work collaboratively with other departments to ensure the smooth running of the workshop and alignment with wider resettlement objectives.
What We're Looking ForWe're seeking someone with:
- Experience in manufacturing, warehousing, logistics, or recycling, ideally in a supervisory or instructional role.
- Strong people-management skills and the ability to build a positive, structured work environment.
- A solid understanding of workplace health and safety standards.
- Organisational ability to manage stock, schedules, and performance monitoring.
- Effective communication and collaboration skills.
- An understanding of security expectations within a custodial setting or a willingness to learn.
Experience delivering or assessing vocational qualifications is desirable but not essential we'll support you to gain this.
Why This Role MattersThis workshop gives people the opportunity to gain skills, purpose, and pride in their work. Through recycling and production, prisoners are not only learning valuable trades they're making a meaningful contribution to the environment and society.
Who We AreHere at People Plus, we make a positive difference to people's lives - every single day.
We use our experience to support hundreds of thousands of people each year. Our committed teams work across Britain to deliver a range of public services, including employment support, skills training, independent living, prison education, starting a business, and support to help employers grow.
To put it simply, we:
- Support people to find and keep jobs
- Help people to set up their own businesses
- Deliver skills training to further people's careers
- Work with employers to build a skilled and happy workforce
- Rehabilitate people with convictions
- Tackle the root causes of offending
- Help people to live independently
- Support carers
We are extremely proud to be a Silver accredited Investors in People organisation. This means that at PeoplePlus, the right principles are in place but more than that, it means our people and leaders are making active efforts to make sure that there's real consistency and everyone in the organisation can feel the effects.
Our BenefitsA paid PeoplePlus Life Event Day each year
25 days annual leave
Cycle to Work scheme
Access to hundreds of discounts via the Additions portal
Employee Assistance Programme
Access to online wellbeing centre
Enhanced Wedding leave
A paid volunteering day each year
Enhanced Maternity scheme
Sharesave
scheme
Refer a Friend reward scheme
Holiday purchase scheme
Pension
scheme
Life
assurance
TestimonialsDeborah Hawes, Administrator "I have worked within PeoplePlus for 6 months now, my team is amazing and full of support. I have been given many opportunities to expand my role and learn new skills, always supported by management and my colleagues."
Pete Wheatley, Employment Advisor"PeoplePlus is a great place to work as they care about and support their employees whilst challenging them to grow within the company. The core values contribute effectively to the company culture of honesty, communication and self-improvement enabling staff to be heard and feedback and share opinions in a progressive way. Staff are always empowered to perform and motivated by achievement thereby creating a positive environment within which to support the well-being of others."
Kayleigh Martin, Compliance Officer "I have loved my time since joining PeoplePlus as an Administrator for the Restart Scheme in Stockton. After a few months I enrolled onto Level 3 HR Support apprenticeship through the internal apprenticeship programme. Since then, I have joined the Contract Assurance team as Compliance officer for the Northeast. I have a great support system within the organisation and have been given many fantastic opportunities to help progress my professional development. "
