An unemployed Birmingham man has played his cards right after winning a dream job aboard a luxury cruise ship as a croupier and will soon be sailing around the Caribbean.

Marcus Miller's unemployment ordeal ended thanks to support from Pertemps People Development Group (PPDG) and North Warwickshire and Hinckley College (NWHC) Regional Gaming Academy.

He had been unemployed for a year after leaving university. After gaining experience working at a casino in Walsall he has now secured a job working in a casino on a Carnival Valor cruise liner. He flew to Miami in America earlier this week where he will climb aboard the ship for six months cruising around the islands of the Caribbean.

Marcus is one of a number of PPDG clients who successfully completed an eight week course held at Newtown in Birmingham, run by gaming academy co-ordinator at NWHC Elaine De Christie. Marcus gained skills in American roulette and blackjack.

Elaine said: "Marcus has done absolutely brilliantly. He showed great dedication and has a likeable personality which makes him ideal for a job as a croupier. He now has an exciting career ahead of him and is about to set sail on a cruise liner where he will work as a croupier.

"This course opens up potential careers all around the world. Trainees have gone out to Los Angeles, New York and Miami where they will be picked up to work on cruise ships. There are a lot of opportunities for people who want to pursue a career as a croupier and it can open up a whole new world of opportunities."

Marcus had been unemployed for a year after leaving Birmingham City University with a degree in computer and electronics and had lost his confidence. The 23-year-old, from Newtown, said: "I first joined PPDG when I was out of education and wasn't working. I was finding it hard to find work and was signing on. One of the opportunities that attracted me was the casino training. 

"I attended an induction session and met Elaine De Christie who instantly made me feel real enthusiasm about taking part in the course. They made us all feel special and that we had a lot to offer the industry. Elaine said to us that all we needed to bring to the Gaming Academy was a 'personality.' The casino training was helpful in developing my skills to work in a casino and at the same time it was really fun. The training and guidance I received was really helpful towards getting me and the others into work.

"Within a month of finishing the course I found myself working in a casino in Walsall and then I moved to a casino in Birmingham. I am really grateful PPDG gave me this opportunity because I'm now going to work on a cruise ship with the skills I developed on the training course. My life has turned around and none of this could have happened without PPDG and Elaine from the Gaming Academy.

"It has made such a difference to me and my family. One year ago I was unemployed and feeling helpless - now I have a skill and qualification experience in two casinos. I have got my passport and I am sailing off to see the world on board Carnival Valor - a luxury cruise liner. I have been to the Caribbean but I have never been to America before so I am very excited. I would recommend this to anyone wanting to do something different, challenging and life changing."

Marcus secured an NVQ Level 2 Gambling Operations diploma during the duration of the course. A casino-style room has been established by PPDG in Newtown, complete with roulette, blackjack and poker tables since. Training has been organized through the Government-funded Work Focused Training initiative which provides vocational training opportunities and employability skills to 18 to 24-year-olds.

The initiative 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 opportunities they need to get into work. PPDG is providing vocational training linked to the needs of the local labour market that progresses young people towards the achievement of full Level 2 or 3 vocational qualifications that can be continued in work or around work if required.

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.

For more information about Pertemps People Development Group, please visit their website here: www.ppdg.co.uk