Jack’s Journey to employment

 

An Autistic man from Stalybridge is celebrating securing employment and finding “a new purpose” thanks to the Routes to Work Scheme.

Jack Hamilton, 29, is delighted with his role as a Document Controller at BLM law firm and says the scheme has changed his life.

Routes to Work is a Tameside Council funded provision aimed at anyone who, because of a disability, has struggled to access mainstream services and find employment. Through training sessions, CV workshops, volunteering opportunities and one-to-one mentoring, the programme seeks to prepare individuals for all aspects of employment from building a CV to workplace etiquette.

Jack said, “I have more confidence since working at BLM. It has given me a purpose to get up in the morning. Before having a job, I was bored at home and would just go to the gym for something to do. Now I am more independent and I love it.”

Prior to taking part in the programme, Jack had secured several volunteering roles that had allowed him to develop his skills but he had struggled to break through to paid employment.

“It was very difficult trying to find work before I was with Routes to Work”, said Jack. “The Employment Officers have helped me a lot. They found me several work experience roles and built my skills and abilities to help me pursue a paid job.”

Routes to Work establish good working relationships with employers looking to recruit from an untapped talent pool of work-ready people. Working with the employer, they identify vacancies that match the jobseeker’s aspirations, skills and abilities. They deliver a structured approach to teaching vocational and independent living skills to people with additional needs.

Supporting participants by liaising with employers to make reasonable adjustments, they also provide 1-1 mentoring both prior to and during employment as well as finding volunteering and work experience opportunities that will build the participants’ skillset and make them stand out to employers.

Employment Officers assess and identify barriers that once removed or reduced will enable the participant to access paid employment opportunities. They are able to support these adjustments by submitting applications to Access to Work, a government initiative that funds workplace adaptations for people with disabilities to access employment.

When asked about their experience in hiring through the Routes to Work Scheme, Christine Cheetham, Head of Corporate Services said: “As employers, we need to recognise the benefits that diverse talent can bring to our teams. It is key to understand the level of support required to ensure that the individual receives the right level of training and support they need. I would have no hesitation hiring through the scheme again. It has been a positive and rewarding experience.”

Abigail Downing, Jack’s Employment Support Worker who worked with him every step of the way, said: “Jack has achieved so much and he has been a pleasure to support. He is always focused and I am so proud to see how much he has accomplished. Jack has grown in confidence and I am so pleased of his progress.”

Jack’s newfound confidence is not limited to his working life; with help from his Employment Officers, he has also found new independence in his ability to travel to the office on public transport.

Jack’s advice to anyone thinking about taking part in the scheme is: “Do it and go for it! I have been in others’ shoes and I know how it feels thinking you can’t get a job but I have succeeded in doing it and you can too.”

To find out more about the support available through the Routes to Work scheme please call 0161 342 5200 or visit https://www.tameside.gov.uk/supportedemployment