A tenant of Derby Homes has started work in the housing organisation’s Enquiry Centre after completing the company’s Home 2 Work scheme – a work experience programme designed to tackle worklessness amongst council tenants.
Employment success for Derby Homes tenant
A tenant of Derby Homes has started work in the housing organisation’s Enquiry Centre after completing the company’s Home 2 Work scheme – a work experience programme designed to tackle worklessness amongst council tenants.
Home 2 Work provides a range of experiences to help tenants who have been unemployed for at least six months and give them the confidence and motivation they need to get back into permanent employment. The four week structured programme specialises in customer service and helps to develop transferable skills that can be used in a number of work settings.
Alan Bleeks completed the programme in April. “Home 2 Work was an opportunity for me to be in a work environment without the pressure of being an employee,” explained Alan. “The practical experience it gave me helped to fill key skills and knowledge gaps in my CV. As part of the Home 2 Work programme we also completed mock interviews, which was very useful practice for me when it came to the real job interview.”
“Alan’s application was one of 37 we received for two vacancies in our Enquiry Centre,” said Mary Holmes, Customer Services Manager at Derby Homes. “He performed exceptionally well during his interview and was clearly one of the best candidates for the job. In his new role he will deal with a wide range of calls from Derby Homes customers, so he’ll get plenty of opportunities to use the customer service skills he learned during the Home 2 Work programme.”
Derby Homes works in partnershipwith Job Centre Plus to identify suitable candidates for the Home 2 Work Scheme. Bob Kendall, Acting District Manager for Jobcentre Plus in Derbyshire said: "I’m pleased to see the partnership between Jobcentre Plus and Derby Homes working for customers like Alan. The ability to develop confidence and skills within the Home 2 Work project provides a valuable experience that will continue to support our customers towards a return to work."
If you are a Derby Homes tenants and you are interested in taking part in the scheme, contact Annabelle Barwick on 01332 711022.
12 June 2009