Today (3 December 2020) marks International Day for People With Disabilities. Papworth Trust has a proud history of supporting disabled people into suitable and sustainable employment – from the days of Papworth Industries in the Papworth village to the modern day employment programmes we deliver with our partners, we have remained committed to ensuring a wide range of disabled people, unseen or otherwise, are able to lead rich, independent and empowered lives. This is the story of Michael, a customer on our Community Connections Essex programme, and how we helped him regain confidence and independence, as well as new skills through our support.

Michael had been out of work 22 years when he enrolled onto the Community Connections project in Essex. He had worked in a warehouse operating a forklift until an industrial accident which left him disabled and unable to wear PPE safety shoes for the sort of work environments he had been employed in up until then. Following that Michael looked after his mother and when she passed away he knew he needed to return to work.

Prior to enrolling on the project, Michael felt that getting back out there [the labour market] was scary: “I was very nervous. Everything had changed” he said. Michael faced multiple barriers: having been out of work for so long, his disability, and having to learn a new occupation as he could not go back to what he used to do. Michael had not tried any employment programmes before. His JCP work coach suggested Community Connections Essex and sent him just across the town square to our office to speak to us in person about it. He decided to try it as he felt he needed all the help he could get.

The most useful activity Michael engaged with through the project were the volunteering opportunities we pointed him towards, which gained him experience in fields he had never worked in and got him glowing references. The first was at Brentwood Community Print where he learnt a new skill, Photoshop, and began interacting with other people again. Since then he has been very active in volunteering where we are based in the Advice Store in multiple roles, on the reception desk meeting and greeting the public, then assisting people attending the Job Club and the CV Club in using the computers, giving him experience of customer service. Michael found the programme useful for “the support, advice and opportunities”. The difference Community Connections Essex made to Michael’s life was clear: “I got more confidence and more optimistic. It confirmed I can do things”.

He is currently looking for work and recently passed through several rounds of application to become a Job Centre work coach. He completed the initial form, then was invited to answer competency questions and finally progressed to a pre-recorded interview. Although Michael did not get the job, he was given feedback that as well as answering the questions he needs to explain his thought process, which he intends to do in a future round of work coach recruitment when he will apply again.

His work coach was very impressed with this achievement, telling him that her own daughter had not progressed as far as him. This is all the more impressive for someone out of work for over two decades with no relevant experience to the role prior to enrolment on the Community Connections Essex programme.

Community Connections Essex is funded by The European Social Fund & The National Lottery Community Fund.