Pictured above: Melford Hutchinson is enjoying his new job at the Nechells Regeneration Project thanks to support from Pertemps People Development Group

A Birmingham man is looking forward to a brighter future year after securing a job as a receptionist thanks to help from a major employment services and training provider.

Saltley resident Melford Hutchinson swiftly found his new niche in life thanks to support from Pertemps People Development Group (PPDG) when he was given an opportunity to take on reception responsibility for the Nechells Regeneration Project.

Melford had been out of work for two months when Jobcentre Plus put him in touch with PPDG, based at the project.

His employment coach at PPDG, Rachel Hanney, said: "Melford is a proud man and was desperate to get back into work as soon as possible. He demonstrated his eagerness through his regular and punctual attendance and was particularly keen to explore all his options of securing employment. A background in the security industry coupled with his reliable and flexible nature proved him to be ideally suited to the role that became available."

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

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.  

Melford is particularly pleased he has been able to get straight back into employment. "I have 10 years experience as a security guard," he said. "So we were exploring the options open to me when this job came up. Rachel suggested I should apply and thankfully the interviewing team recognised my ability to fill the role. I'm a proud man, having a job means the world to me and being here means I can also help others from my local community."

The 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 328 9076.

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.