An unemployed mother of one from Herefordshire has started a new retail career – thanks to help from her local Jobcentre.

Forty-three year old Susan Jennings from Hereford is now working for outdoor clothing specialists Hawkshead, after taking part in a Work Trial with the company arranged by Jobcentre Plus.  

New Deal Lone Parent personal adviser Deb Meredith, who is based at the St Nicholas Street Jobcentre Plus office, arranged for Susan to attend a six-week course run at Hereford Technical College. During the course Susan decided she would like to give retail work a try. 

Susan said: “I’d been out of the world of employment for over 8 years while my daughter was growing up so I was unsure of how I would fit in, or indeed what I could actually do. Once I attended the course at college, I was able to see that there were jobs I could look into. I discovered that I was really interested in retail and so talked to my personal advisor about my options.”

Deb found a job vacancy that fitted Susan’s skills, and arranged for her to join Hawkshead for a trial period.

Susan said: “After I’d done the trial, I realised working in retail was definitely what I wanted to do and was delighted when they offered me a permanent position with Hawkshead. I would highly recommend Work Trials to other people as it builds up your confidence and allows you to see what you have got to offer to employers.”

A Work Trial is a short ‘try out’ period in a real job; it’s the ideal way for employers to fill a vacancy with minimum risk or for jobseekers to move back into work after a period on benefits. During their Work Trial the employee stays on their normal benefits (but receives travel expenses and a meal allowance), so there’s no cost to the employer. The employee gets the chance to try the job and the employer gets time to decide whether the person can do the job. There’s no obligation on either side.

Deb said: “Susan is a great inspiration to others in a similar position. By taking the steps to find out what options were open to her, and taking part in a Work Trial, she has been able to find a job that she enjoys. I wish her every success for the future.”

Specialist New Deal lone parent advisors at Jobcentre Plus can help lone parents overcome barriers to work by discussing their situation and goals, help them work out what works best for them and their children, and look at in work benefits.

More information about New Deal for Lone Parents is available by calling 0800 587 424 between 7am to 11pm, 7 days a week (textphone 0845 606 0680 for hearing or speech impaired), visiting a Jobcentre Plus office or by visiting the New Deal Pages on this website.