A fresh start - Gary’s story

When Gary was referred to the Restart Scheme - delivered by Northern Rights, he had been made redundant from his job of 15 years as a TV and Broadband Engineer. Gary had little confidence with his job search as the labour market had completely changed since he last applied for a job.

During his initial appointment, Gary shared with his Employment Adviser Chris, that his redundancy came as a complete shock. Chris worked closely with Gary to determine his next steps, identifying his responsibilities as a single parent and the hours he could work.

A Better Off Calculator provides participants with insight into what they can earn by comparing part‑time and full‑time hours. It gives a clear picture of expected income and any remaining benefits, helping them choose the hours that work best for them.

Gary explored potential driving roles with Chris and began developing a CV tailored to the sector. However, they found that many of the positions required long shifts, which Gary was unable to commit to as a full‑time single parent. Despite this setback, they remained determined and continued searching for the right opportunity for Gary.

Chris shared: “I enrolled Gary onto several of our in‑house courses to support him in areas such as self‑confidence, resilience, interview skills, transferable skills, and working with others. We also went through Gary’s CV together, highlighting the years of hard work and reliability that he had previously dismissed as ‘just doing my job.’

“Gary admitted that he was still struggling with negative thoughts, often imagining the worst‑case scenario and constantly worrying about ‘what if’. I reassured him that this is completely normal when stepping outside of your comfort zone, and I supported him with practical techniques to help overcome negative thinking and begin practicing mindfulness.”

We deliver in‑house courses that help participants build key skills in areas such as confidence, resilience, interview techniques, and teamwork. Each session provides practical guidance and tools to support people at all levels with feeling prepared and ready for work.

A role became available at Currys, as a Delivery Driver Installer, with suitable working hours for Gary, and so he applied using his newly updated CV and was invited to interview. Chris told us:

“This was fantastic news and seeing the instant boost of confidence it gave Gary was just what he needed. We worked on interview preparation and arranged a couple of mock interviews to help him to practice his answers and approach.”

Following the interview, Chris encouraged Gary to remain positive and continue to explore other roles in the meantime as a distraction. The next day, Gary called Chris with the good news that he was offered the job!

“I was over the moon for Gary and incredibly proud of how far he had come. It was one of those moments that reminded me why supporting people truly matters”, said Chris.