Pictured above: Mary Buxton
Depressed and unemployed, Mary Buxton, 52, a widow from
Leicester, had spent five years looking for work until a
euro-funded course gave her food for thought.
The project, Skills for Jobs, run by nextstep Leicestershire,
has been awarded more than £646,000 from the European Social
Fund 2007-13 (ESF) and the Learning and Skills Council East
Midlands. Mary is now enjoying employment as a part-time
catering assistant after gaining new skills and confidence after
going on the course.
Mary fell to pieces when her husband died in 2002. She suffered
classic symptoms of depression and low self esteem, finally leaving
her job as a care assistant due to severe health and personal
problems.
Nervous and lacking in confidence, she worked with a nextstep
adviser to create a new CV, searched for jobs and filled in
application forms.
Having found a new lease of life, Mary now happily lives with
her sister, works three mornings a week at the staff canteen at the
Co-op frozen food distribution centre and is a member of her local
skittles team.
"I was struggling with my confidence in general and in
particular in the process of job applications. All my previous jobs
had been gained from informal interviews so CV's, application forms
and formal interviews were a frightening thought.
Nextstep helped me with all of these things and now I am a
catering assistant. I help prepare breakfasts and wash the
pots. Sometimes I'm involved in catering for functions or buffets
as well.
"I enjoy talking to the customers now and I'm not shy anymore.
I've now got the hang of the till and know what needs to be
done.
"I am a lot happier and more confident. I just love going
to work and
I just want to tell people how the help I received from Skills
for Jobs got me back to work and encourage them never to give up,
whatever happens."