Nottingham biker David
Sheppard had resigned himself to giving up his lifetime hobby,
before landing a job just minutes later.
David, 58, of Bulwell, Nottingham, lost his
dairy supervisor job during the recession in January 2009, and was
solely living off savings rather than claiming benefits – and now
he is the 150,000th success story from back to work
experts Working Links.
His dwindling cashflow and having no luck
finding a job, meant he was about to lose his beloved motorbike –
and with it a hobby he had enjoyed since childhood.
But his fortunes changed within minutes of
putting his bike up for sale after landing a warehousing job thanks
to the help of employment and skills experts Working Links.
David said: “I lost my job because the company
I worked for closed its Nottingham operation. At first I took it as
a bit of a holiday because I had worked all of my life but it soon
became apparent that there were not a lot of jobs out there.
“I got quite despondent at times but when I
was referred to Working Links, it all changed. They seem to have
the magic touch, they knew where to look, how I should approach the
company and what to say – I can’t thank them enough.”
David was helped back into work by Working
Links consultant Vaughen Crompton, who said: “Although out of work
for over a year, David was very committed towards getting a job
from the outset. I knew with his determination it wouldn't take
long for him to land a new job.”
David’s new boss, Derrick Plackett, also had
kind words to say, adding: “David has become a valued member of our
staff and is even helping out with a bit of DIY around the site so
is going above and beyond his duties – he’s exactly the person we
were looking for.”
And now he’s back in work, it means David
doesn’t have to sell his beloved bike.
He added: “Selling my bike was a last resort.
It would have been very hard for me to let it go. I put it up for
sale at 10.15am and by 11.15am I had been offered a job so I took
it down immediately. I am so happy, my life had been on hold and
now it feels like I have my life back again.”
Working Links is celebrating achieving the
milestone with a series of events, including hosting a visit from
Department for Work and Pensions Minister Chris Grayling and the
release of their labour market intelligence bulletin The Pulse.
Breege Burke, Working Links Chief Executive,
said: “Helping 150,000 people into work is a fantastic achievement
and a huge testament to everyone’s hard work over the last ten
years.
“But 150,000 is so much more than a statistic.
Each number is someone that our people – and a host of supporting
organisations – have nurtured, encouraged and watched grow until
they realised their potential.
“And the good work does not stop here. We will
continue to help change people’s lives and create futures for
thousands of others.”
To find out how Working Links can help unemployed people,
call 0800 917 9262.