Phil hails support from Telford & Wrekin Council’s Job Box service
A father of two has hailed Telford & Wrekin Council’s Job Box service after it helped him land a new job.
Phil Morris now has his sights set on working at a children’s residential home in Shrewsbury after eight years working in a school setting and the previous 20 working in manufacturing.
The Job Box is a one-stop shop for information and support with training and employment in Telford and Wrekin.
Job Box mentors can help people with job searches and also offer support with CV writing and interview techniques.
Phil, 48, said: “After working in manufacturing for 20 years and then working at Haberdashers’ Abraham Darby School for the past eight years I decided I wanted to do something different.
“I’m 48 and I’ve seen friends and colleagues changing direction and I thought now was the time to do it.
“When I first thought about changing jobs, I thought I needed to go to the Job Centre but I was told to approach Job Box.
“I wasn’t aware that there was support out there and I hadn’t updated my CV for a long time so I didn’t really know where to start.
“After leaving manufacturing I went to work in a school but was lucky that I gained hands-on experience and was offered permanent employment while I was there but this time actually applying for a new job was like starting from scratch completely.”
Phil is full of praise for Job Box and mentor Nuala Addison who has worked with him to help him change direction at this stage of his career.
He said: “Nuala helped me build up my CV and search for jobs online that were suitable for me.
“I’ve gained a lot of experience working in a school and my CV and applications reflected that thanks to the support from Nuala who helped me to tailor my applications for different jobs.
“I’d recommend Job Box to anyone who is looking for new employment – particularly if they haven’t had to apply for a job for a long time. Updating your CV and knowing what to look for online was a huge help to me.
“Thanks to the help I’ve received I’ve now landed a job working at a children’s residential home in Shrewsbury – working with young people who are autistic.
“I have two boys of my own and enjoy working with children – helping to make a difference to their lives.
“This will be a new environment for me but I’m hoping that I can apply the knowledge and skills I’ve gained in the school setting to this new role.”
Councillor Eileen Callear (Lab), Telford & Wrekin Council’s Cabinet Member for Education, Employment & Visitor Economy, said: “Job Box supports people in a range of ways to help them find new employment or prepare them for a change of career direction.
“It’s fantastic that Phil has been able to secure a new opportunity thanks to the support from our Job Box team.
“The help we offer can be invaluable to people – boosting their skills, confidence and making sure they are set for the workplace.”
Nuala Addison, Job Box Mentor, said: “Phil is now a different person to when he first approached us at Job Box.
"He now has a new found confidence, more self-belief and is looking forward to the future in his new role. We’re really pleased to have helped him on to the next stage of his career journey.”
