CARL IS FINALLY BACK INTO WORK, THANKS TO HELP FROM INTRAINING AND THE WORK PROGRAMME

CARL IS FINALLY BACK INTO WORK, THANKS TO HELP FROM INTRAINING AND THE WORK PROGRAMME
 

A dad who worked in the steel industry for 31 years before losing his job is finally back in employment, thanks to intervention from national training provider Intraining and the Work Programme.
 

As the latest unemployment figures are expected to be released tomorrow (Wed), 52-year-old Carl Holmes said he was shocked to discover how difficult it was to find work during his 18 months of unemployment.
 

He was only able to stay afloat and pay his bills because he had saved for his retirement.
 

But the dad-of-two, who had worked every day since the age of 15, said the financial strain put on his family was just one aspect of the difficulties he faced after becoming unemployed.
 

His self-esteem disappeared, he became depressed and once enjoyable tasks, such as taking his son to football practice, became an ordeal.
 

However, after being referred to Intraining by Jobcentre Plus, he was placed on the Work Programme and within weeks was offered a job by building firm A Torn Construction, near Scunthorpe in Lincolnshire.
 

"I had never been out of work since the age of 15, so when I lost my job in 2010 it hit me really hard," said Carl, from Broughton in Lincolnshire.
 

"It was tough financially, but it also had a huge impact on me personally. I didn"t feel like a person anymore - even taking the kids to school and football, I felt like a second class citizen.
 

"I think that is what people do not understand about becoming unemployed. It has far reaching consequences, besides money. I have only been back in work a week and already I feel better about myself. It is only a couple of days a week at the moment, but hopefully it will become full-time at some point."
 

Dan Howard, Business Manager at Intraining"s Employment Related Services, said it was satisfyling to see Carl back into work.
 

"Carl is fairly typical of the sort of jobseeker we are helping through the Work Programme at the moment," said Dan. 
 

"He has worked all his life, but found himself out of work and he felt there was simply nothing out there for him to apply for. However, he was referred to us and we were able to identify his skill set and then match it to a suitable job vacancy very quickly.
 

"Carl has a lot of experience and a number of trade skills, so we knew that a company would be very glad to have him on board, it was just a case of us finding them. We are delighted he is in work and we wish him well."
 

Mandy Torn, a Director at the building and civil engineering company in Kirton Lindsey, Linconshire, said the vacant post had been advertised at the Jobcentre, but had led to no suitable candidates, so she was pleased to work with Intraining. Within a few days, the training company had introduced A Torn Construction to Carl.
 

"Intraining played a valuable role by matching Carl to our business needs and as soon as we interviewed him, we knew he was what we were looking for," said Mandy.
 

"We are an established industrial construction company, so it was important that we took someone on with experience and a knowledge of industry, but we are a small business, so attitude and work ethos was also important.
 

"It seems to have worked out very well. We are busy at the moment, so there may be other opportunities for Carl to take on more hours, and if we need additional members of staff in the future, we would definitely go to Intraining. They saved us a lot of time."
 

Intraining delivers the Government"s Work Programme in North East Yorkshire and Humberside and in Birmingham, Solihull and the Black Country on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions. It is the biggest single payment-by-results employment programme Britain has ever seen. It gives personalised and tailored support to help jobseekers get back into work and providers have the freedom to design support based on idividual and local need.
 

Businesses with vacancies who are looking for new employees and would like free assistance with recruitment can call Intraining on 01724 846444.