A Tameside resident has managed to turn his life around with help from Jigsaw’s JET team.
Michael Edwards from Denton first got in touch with the Neighbourhood Safety team after dealing with anti-social behaviour at his home.
He had been out of work since 2008 but after enquiring about volunteer work with Jigsaw Homes, he was then referred to the Neighbourhood Engagement team. He was offered a role as a work club volunteer in Ashton-Under-Lyne which helps support unemployed adults with job-seeking activities.
Michael also volunteered at community events including the Tameside Jobs Fair to help promote Jigsaw’s employment and skills services alongside colleagues. As part of his induction, he also completed JET’s accredited training courses First Aid Skills at Work, Food Safety Level 2, Manual Handling, Safeguarding and GDPR training to help enhance his CV.
The support from Jigsaw encouraged Michael to discover other opportunities to change up his life. Through his volunteer work, he improved his social, communication and IT skills and he also enrolled at the Tameside Wellbeing College which helped to develop his confidence and self-esteem.
During the pandemic, Jigsaw helped him to apply for a Peer Trainer role at The Health and Wellbeing College in Ashton and supported his interview presentation on the subject of isolation.
Michael’s application was a success and this year he started working for the NHS.
He said: “Volunteering with Jigsaw Homes for two years gave me a real opportunity to get back into the workplace and gain the confidence to apply for jobs again. With the support and help the neighbourhood engagement team gave me I have been able to build on my employability skills needed to make my aspiration to work again a reality”.
John McGlynn, Jigsaw’s Neighbourhood Engagement Officer, said: “It is really important that we continue to able to help people like Michael get back into volunteering, learning and secure paid employment, especially when they have struggled with barriers such as ill health and isolation which have prevented them from reaching their full potential.”
