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Jigsaw: The trainee's experience

Jigsaw trainee: Darren Plowright

Account Manager - Jobs4, Doncaster

Training period - 6 months

"When I was made redundant I knew that I didn't want to go to another similar job. I felt that the time was right to take a bit of a risk."

Darren Plowright - Jobs4, DoncasterDarren Plowright was made redundant when his job as a call centre manager was relocated to India. Having worked for a large multinational financial organisation, Darren was looking for a change of direction and a new challenge.

"When I was made redundant I knew that I didn't want to go to another similar job," he says. "I felt that the time was right to take a bit of a risk."

Darren was put in touch with Lee Touhig who was looking for ambitious self starters to help him launch his recruitment website Jobs4Doncaster into Sheffield and Leeds and further afield.

"Every day is different," says Darren. "We work really hard, but the great thing about working here is that you feel that you are making a difference. If you miss a day in a big international company it hardly has any impact. But if you don't work for a day in this job it is felt."

"When something goes well or I win a new client account I go home on a real high. Of course occasionally things go wrong and then I feel really upset - but it's still good fun," he adds.

Darren's day varies from updating the website to contacting and calling on clients or potential customers to writing job descriptions. He also contributes general recruitment and CV tips to local business magazines. Each website can generate as many as 200 job applications a day.

Employer Lee Touhig says: "The Jigsaw programme has meant that I can do much more to recruit and retain staff and to offer better training and salaries. The funding that the programme provides has made it possible to recruit someone with Darren's skills that I would otherwise have struggled to find. Experienced people often move outside the area to bigger centres because they just can't get the salaries in Doncaster."

Jobs4 plans to launch websites into 96 cities and towns across the UK and even more internationally. If everything goes according to plan, Darren could soon be working for a big multinational again - but this one he has helped to build from the very beginning.

 

Jigsaw Trainee: Melanie Watts

Business Development Advisor - Rotherham Chamber of Commerce

Melanie Watts is an employee who is part of the scheme. She works for Rotherham Chamber of Commerce as a Business Development Advisor.

Melanie Watts - Jigsaw TraineeMelanie said "The Jigsaw scheme has been invaluable in assisting my employer, the Rotherham Chamber of Commerce, to take on extra staff and support their training requirements"
"It has enhanced my skills tremendously through the training I have been given"

"I think the Jigsaw staff are extremely professional, they make the process really straight forward and provide a seamless service"

"I am now working closely with Jigsaw to enable other companies across the region to benefit from this scheme"

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