BANGOR man Robert Bell has landed his dream job thanks to the Steps to Work programme.
Robert is now with Lisburnbased renewable energy company Solmatix, after impressing them with his performance and work ethic during his Steps to Work placement.
Robert started at the company in October, initially as a trainee installer, and was trained in a number of courses, including general first aid, working at heights, manual handling and the installation of bespoke solar mounting systems.
Profoundly deaf, he said: “Steps to Work has worked for me. It has given me the opportunity to get a paid job. I really appreciate the support from SERC in helping me find this job.
“I was elated when I was offered the role and am so grateful for the high quality training which has opened up this great opportunity and enhanced my practical abilities, self-esteem and my own confidence.
It’s really turned my life around.”
Recognising that a lack of qualifications is a barrier to entering employment, Robert successfully completed a number of courses, including a vocational qualification in solar energy, designed to enhance his CV, confidence and motivation.
During the 26-week programme, he also received training and one-to-one mentoring.
Solmatix senior engineer Jock Armstrong said: “We offered Robert an opportunity to work with us through the Steps to Work programme and were so impressed by him that we decided to offer him permanent employment.
“After learning about the programme I was initially interested in what it had to offer and, with limited resources, we were reluctant to recruit additional staff.
The programme provided us with an alternative to traditional costly recruitment options and it was of great advantage to find someone that was trained in our specific field of work.
“I would definitely recommend the Steps to Work Programme to other companies.”