European Social Fund in England

'I felt confident and prepared thanks to my training'

Weller Howard, 35, moved from Northamptonshire to Derby in early summer 2009. She had never been out of work before and had concerns about her lack of job search skills and the current job market.

She had been looking for work since April when she saw an advert for R2R, run by Derby-based Pitman Training at her local job centre. She gave them a call, arranged a meeting and within just a few days, Weller had started a new job as an accounts assistant.

Pitman Training Centre’s Response 2 Redundancy (R2R) project is being funded as part of an additional £12.5 million from the European Social Fund (ESF) and Learning and Skills Council across the East Midlands. The money will help people who are currently under notice of redundancy or have recently lost their jobs, by offering them free, flexible training to boost their skills so they can move quickly back into work.

Weller said, “I set up an informal interview with Pitman training manager Kerry Bentley in June. She helped me identify my main skills and also what courses would be of benefit to me in accountancy.”

Kerry then recommended Weller for an accounts assistant vacancy she had heard about at Orbital Recruitment in Derby. Weller was helped to brush up her CV and work on interviewing techniques. Experts at Pitman Training helped to give her confidence to face the interview.

Weller said, “I was a little nervous at first and ended up having a more formal second interview. They fired questions at me from all angles, but I felt confident and prepared thanks to my training.

“After the interview I asked when I could expect to receive any feedback about my application. I was told maybe later in the day. However, about an hour later I received a call saying that I had got the job.

“My first day was very exciting! It was such a fantastic feeling starting my new job. Everyone was friendly and happy to show me the ropes.”

Weller is continuing her training, thanks to R2R and Pitman Training, by doing a Level 2 Business and Administration. She added, “I would say to anyone out there who is going through redundancy, get as many skills and training courses you can under your belt.

“I had never been out of work until Avon, but I stuck with it and sought out help and advice.”

Kerry Bentley from Derby Pitman Training Centre said, “It was great to help Weller back into work so quickly after joining our R2R training. Many people who are made redundant often feel shell-shocked as it’s the first time they have ever been out of work. It is therefore vital that those made redundant get back into the workplace as quickly as possible.

“With our knowledge of the local labour market, we are helping people get back into work, whether it involves refreshing their interview skills, as we did with Weller, or training them to learn new skills and improve their job chances.”

Project information (August 2009)

The Response 2 Redundancy package in Derbyshire is co-financed by the European Social Fund (ESF) and Learning and Skills Council (LSC). It has been awarded over £250,000 and will engage with over 3100 learners.