Pictured above: Tracey Connor is enjoying working at Nechells Regeneration Centre thanks to support from Pertemps People Development Group

A Birmingham mother is enjoying the sweet aroma of job success after being helped back into work as a kitchen assistant.

Tracey Connor's unemployment ordeal ended when she was given an opportunity to become a kitchen assistant at Nechells Regeneration Centre.

She secured the role with support from Edgbaston-based employment experts Pertemps People Development Group (PPDG). Tracey, aged 40, a single mother of three from Ward End, was offered the job after being referred to PPDG by Jobcentre Plus.

Her success was down to her own hard work and the support received from PPDG through the Working Neighbourhoods Fund (WNF) - a £115m employment initiative.

Within two days of joining the WNF programme Tracey had secured employment by being placed on a six month Intermediary Labour Market (ILM) placement at the Nechells Regeneration Centre.

She said: "Before I was put in touch with PPDG my confidence was low and I lacked self- esteem. Now, I have been working as a kitchen assistant since the start of November and I have really enjoyed it. I ensure the kitchen is nice and tidy and prepare the food. I work from 10am to 2pm every day of the week. I feel my self-confidence and self-esteem is rising each day. I really enjoy it and I am so pleased that PPDG helped me. I had been unemployed for about a year and had done a number of jobs including cleaning and bar work. I am just loving being back in work now and it's all down to PPDG. I can't thank them enough."

PPDG employment coach Tracey Farrington said Tracey's enthusiasm and determination had helped her secured work quickly.

She said: "Tracey had only attended one appointment with me. She was very keen to get back into work. She was enthusiastic and we discussed all options of employment with her. When I mentioned the kitchen assistant vacancy we had within Nechells Regeneration Centre Tracey was delighted to be put forward for it. She was so keen to apply that she attended an interview the very same day. Her positive attitude impressed the kitchen manager and she was offered the position straight away. Tracey went into work two days after starting the WNF programme."

The WNF is a partnership between Be Birmingham, Jobcentre Plus, Birmingham City Council, and the LSC, which is being delivered across Birmingham by Edgbaston-based PPDG. One of the key features of the project is the strong outreach element which sees employment-based services taken into the heart of communities. Jobseekers can visit one of the city's many PPDG centres or, alternatively, make an appointment for a team member to come out to them and meet at a convenient venue.  

Support available for job seekers through WNF includes: confidence-building and motivation courses, CV preparation and interview techniques, training and opportunities to gain new qualifications. Activities are focused across Birmingham and anyone interested in more finding out further information about how the WNF can be of assistance is asked to contact the team on 0121 454 7231. One element of WNF is the ILM placement which sees Birmingham City Council subsidise the wages. The ILM programme, which is funded under the NI European Structural Funds, acts as a bridge between unemployment and the world of work by providing proportionally paid employment.

In partnership with DWP, the Ministry of Justice and Jobcentre Plus, PPDG delivers a diverse range of employment and training initiatives including Flexible New Deal, Working Neighbourhoods Fund, Learndirect and many ESF funded programmes. More than 100,000 job seekers have been helped into sustained employment by the company since the projects began. It has trained 130,000 people in vocational skills, and over 175,000 people have benefitted from professional information, advice and guidance services.