How a community bicycle workshop gave Sam the skills and confidence to get his life on track after prison.

Sam was referred to Second Chance Cycles by Corrections Victoria. He’d previously had lengthy periods of incarceration, an unstable work history, and was in prison when we met him.

Under his sentence, Sam was able to volunteer with the Second Chance Cycles bike workshop. He attended the project two days per week for five months and learnt new technical skills in bicycle repair and maintenance – but he also developed useful workplace skills in responsibility, communication, health and safety, teamwork, and punctuality.

We were able to provide Sam with a healthy learning environment where he could be supported to try new things and learn new skills.

As part of his sentence, he was eligible for government support to complete skills training. Sam demonstrated such a strong interest in learning and found that he really enjoyed working with his hands.

Sam excelled at the work – learning new construction skills and building on the general workplace competencies he’d developed at Second Chance Cycles.

The experience boosted his confidence, sharpened his skills, and put him in a different position from where he’d been before.

During his parole, Sam was offered a job with the construction company. We continued supporting him through those first few months of employment, to make sure he found his feet and had the tools he needed to succeed.

At the end of our support to Sam, he was happily working, supporting himself, and participating in his community through his work. Sam is the person who’s responsible for his success, but Second Chance Cycles was the place where he got the confidence and support to take the first step.

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