Very few people have the opportunity to turn a hobby into a full-time job. With the help of Jobcentre Plus, Michael Farwell has managed to do just that.

“I’d been receiving Incapacity Benefit for about two years and wanted to get back to work,” he explains. “I’d ridden motorbikes for 22 years and thought being a motorcycle instructor would be the perfect job. I found a local firm that was willing to train me but they told me that I’d have to pay for it and I didn’t have the funds.”

So Michael visited his local Jobcentre and they pointed him in the direction of the Shaw Trust and his local Newcastle Employment Action Team.

“Between them, they sorted out the funding,” he says. “It’s a case of knowing where to go and having the bottle to ask for it, and that’s where the Jobcentre really helped me.”

Michael hadn’t been in a Jobcentre for some time and thought it would be all about queuing and filling in forms. He was pleasantly surprised by all the help he received.

Because of his particular needs, Michael was referred to a Disability Employment Adviser who showed him the best way to get back into work.

Michael has been working for over a year now and in that time his confidence has gone from strength to strength.

“It’s the best job I’ve ever had and I’m hoping to be promoted to Branch Manager in the next few months.”

Top Tip

Jobcentre Plus can give you all sorts of specialist support and guidance, from finding out what benefits you can get to ‘one to one’ advice on how to find a job that’s right for you.