TNG in Leigh is helping people gain the skills they need to move off benefits

TNG in Bold Street, Leigh, is helping unemployed people to gain skills, gain confidence and move from benefits into employment or further education. In the past 12 months, TNG in Leigh has placed over 250 people into employment.

Among the people TNG, a national welfare to work training provider, has helped is 35-year-old John Creegan, from Leigh. John was a qualified plasterer and the economic downturn had hit him hard; he had been unable to find work for a year.

John found that the vacancies that did come up required him to have health and safety qualifications, which he didn’t have. TNG helped him through the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) health and safety course, allowing him to gain a recognised health and safety qualification within the construction industry. He was also advised on how to apply for a CSCS identification card, widely used as proof of occupational competence within the industry.

John knew that there weren’t many vacancies in the construction industry, and so had considered retraining as an electrician. He wanted to apply for an electrical installation course, but was worried that his literacy and numeracy skills weren’t good enough.

He discussed this with his TNG adviser, Allison Gold, who advised him to attend a Skills for Life course. John successfully completed the course, gaining Level 2 qualifications in numeracy and literacy, allowing him to apply for the electrical installation course.

John has started his course at Wigan and Leigh College, and is looking forward to pursuing his new career. He said, “At first I was sceptical about what TNG could offer me and thought it would be a waste of time. I was completely wrong. The staff have been brilliant, and were always there to help me whenever I needed it. I found that you can achieve your goals as long as you put the effort in.”

Chris Marsh, Operations Manager at TNG said, “John is a good example of the work that TNG does in Leigh. Helping people to develop the skills they need to move off benefits and into further education or employment. John wanted to have more work opportunities open to him and TNG helped him gain the skills he needed to move towards that.”