Pictured above: David Pulham, from Walsall, celebrates his rapid promotions with Pertemps People Development Group employment coach Stephanie Elton

A Walsall man has left the nightmare of unemployment behind by climbing the retail career ladder after securing a job at a store in the town's newly built hospital.

In just four months David Pulham has already benefited from two rapid promotions at the Spar store at Walsall Manor Hospital which has even encouraged him to enrol on a retail management course.

David, aged 22, from Leamore, had been unemployed for two years when he was put in touch with Pertemps People Development Group (PPDG) through Jobcentre Plus back in March 2010.

Employment and training provider experts PPDG ended David's unemployment ordeal after placing him on the Work Focused Training (WFT) initiative, a programme which has helped him to build his confidence and enhance his employability skills.

Before securing a full time position as a retail assistant at Spar, David undertook a four week placement at Smyths Toys in Walsall to gain relevant work experience. The former roofer readily admits he was shy and nervous when he engaged with PPDG but soon found the course to be of significant benefit in helping him make the switch to the retail sector.

A delighted David said: "After two years away from the workplace my confidence was low but the training I received gave me a boost, sharpened up my interview skills and prepared me in order to go for a job.

"I did have a little sales experience after a short stint at ASDA which came in useful when I started at Spar in September. I enjoy a challenge and have progressed from retail assistant to shop supervisor through to senior shop supervisor so I now manage between 8 and 10 people to ensure the smooth running of the store. To get where I am now in such a short space of time is a terrific feeling, something I certainly couldn't have achieved without the support of my employer and Stephanie my coach."

Employment coach Stephanie Elton from PPDG's Bradford Place office has noticed the change in David: "He has progressed from being a shy individual who lacked confidence to someone who has taken his opportunity to make a success of his new career," she said. "His hard work and enthusiasm is a perfect example of how perseverance and commitment can help job seekers achieve their goals."

His manager Joanne Ward added: "David shone as soon as he came to work for us; he's an all- rounder with excellent people skills and passionate about excelling at work."

PPDG was awarded the £8.3 million Work Focused Training contract by the Learning Skills Council to provide vocational training opportunities and employability skills to 18 to 24-year-olds. It is part of the Government's Backing Young Britain campaign, in partnership with the Future Jobs Fund and the Community Taskforce, which encourages organisations to provide young people with the opportunity they need to work.

PPDG's team of employment experts provide advice on benefits, confidence building, one-to-one support, CV and interview preparation as well as finding the right job or training course. 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.