Elizabeth, 42, joined TNG Darlington in May 2010. As a lone parent, she had previously had difficulty attending appointments with the jobcentre as her daughter had not been attending school.

The TNG team in Middlesbrough have been actively sourcing local work experience placements to give customers the opportunity to work in their chosen industry, adding valuable work experience to their CV which in turn boosts their confidence and helps them find a job.

Martin, 38 was made redundant from his previous role as a productive operative. He was unemployed for approximately 2 years claiming Job Seekers Allowance (JSA).

Among the many individuals that the TNG Stockton team has supported back into employment are a father and son, who have secured work at the same organisation.

Natasha, 19 from Leicester had limited work experience; she had completed an NVQ Level 2 in Sports Leadership and her GCSE's whilst at school.

Nicholas, 22, from Liverpool, had completed school with 10 GCSE's and 3 A-Levels before going onto complete a ten months voluntary administration position at Royal Liverpool University Hospital. Despite his extensive qualifications and the valuable work experience he had gained, Nicholas struggled to find work following his voluntary work and joined TNG on the FTET programme for help to find a job.

Robert, 28, had spent time doing voluntary work at a local charity shop while searching for a job with little success. He enjoyed working in retail and was pleased to be gaining experience, but was keen to move into paid employment.

TNG have developed a number of valuable partnerships across Merseyside, providing placement opportunities for unemployed individuals to improve and update their skills to assist them to find sustainable employment.

The TNG team in Darlington are celebrating having supported their 100th customer into work since the Flexible New Deal programme started in October 2009.