At WorkFit we support candidates and employers in a wide range of ways. Many candidates are able to source potential employers themselves, and then obtain the help they need from us to make the placement a reality.
One such candidate was Todd in the South West of England who, we are delighted to announce, has secured his dream job – a permanent paid position with Coles Scaffolding.
Swindon WorkFit Liaison Officer Jonathan Grew tells us more…
Potential employers for our candidates are never too far away. In Todd’s case an old family friend gave in to Todd’s persistence a few months ago. Martyn Cole the owner of Coles Scaffolding Contractors Limited had been repeatedly approached by Todd for some work experience. Eventually, as Martyn said, “I decided to give him a chance”.
Todd began his position earlier this year as a trainee scaffolder carrying out tasks such as sorting scaffold poles into the correct lengths and making sure the team has the correct clips needed to build the scaffold.
After seeing his strong work ethic, Martyn decided Todd was worthy of paid employment and made Todd’s position permanent. Todd’s mother Vicky, who has been a long standing member of Swindon Down’s Syndrome Support Group contacted me so that Todd and Cole’s Scaffolding could become part of the WorkFit programme.
Although Todd is “part of the furniture” Martyn welcomed the opportunity for him and his team to have free WorkFit training to further embed their support for Todd. The training gave them useful tips and strategies that the staff greatly appreciated. The opportunity to learn more about Down’s syndrome and to ask questions was very useful. One staff member commented afterwards “I feel more confident now about working with Todd”. Vicky has also found WorkFit’s support helpful in understanding the paperwork that needed to be put in place prior to Todd beginning full time employment, as did Martyn.
We are pleased to have helped Todd and Martyn secure a positive outcome. We wish them all the best for the future and look forward to hearing more about Todd’s progress.
WorkFit supports people with Down’s syndrome to access meaningful work opportunities that can benefit the rest of their lives. For more information about WorkFit please contact the team on 0333 12 12 300 or email us on dsworkfit@downs-syndrome.org.uk
For more information visit the WorkFit website: www.dsworkfit.org.uk
