Andy’s in the driving seat

“I was made redundant during the pandemic and, like many other people, I was struggling – I was anxious,” says Andy Wright, 49. Not well enough to work, with a long-term fit note, he says he “got the help and support I desperately needed,” after joining the Work and Health Programme.

The scheme, delivered by Triage in North East England, helps people with health conditions develop their skills and find jobs.

“Initially I was pretty nervous and to be honest I’d locked myself away for almost a year during Covid but my adviser Julie was brilliant; really friendly and understanding,” says Andy.

“She helped me update my CV and kept me up to date with the latest jobs and training opportunities. I finally had someone I could talk to and trust. I was slowly getting some confidence back. I just wanted to get back to some sort of normality and find work.”

Julie suggested that Andy enrol on a fully-funded HGV driving course.

“It was a great opportunity and to be honest, a complete no-brainer - I could retrain and I wanted to do it!” enthuses Andy. “I enrolled on the HGV course back in December, I’ve had to study hard, but it’s given me something to focus on and I’m hoping to gain my full C+E licence soon. I know it’s not going to be easy, it’s a tough job but sometimes you’ve got to challenge yourself.”

The Category C+E licence is the highest qualification that an HGV driver can hold. Drivers with this qualification have the potential to earn more than £40,000 a year. Andy is hoping that once he passes his training course and receives the licence, he will be able to get a job as a lorry driver.

“If I hadn’t gone to Triage I wouldn’t have even thought of going on an HGV course,” he says. “I’d just really like to thank everyone at Triage and especially my adviser Julie for all the help and support I’ve had. I feel that the programme has helped me set clear goals, gain confidence and move forward. Things are good and I feel back on track – thank you!”

Triage is working with Reed in Partnership to deliver the Department for Work and Pensions’ Work and Health Programme, which is co-financed by the European Social Fund.