After finding a renewed sense of self-confidence with the help of StartScotland, Ernest discovers a passion for driving and couldn’t be happier in his new role.
Why Ernest joined Fair Start Scotland
Ernest had been unemployed for three years when he signed up to our service. He suffered from depression and felt this held him back from applying for work. Just as he joined, there was a national lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, which resulted in many businesses closing their doors, hindering his jobsearch even further. Like many, Ernest felt lost.
How Fair Start Scotland helped?
Morag, one of our personal advisers, worked with him to create a new CV highlighting his skills and capturing his previous retail experience. This gave him a confidence boost and made him more employable. Morag felt he would benefit from speaking with the Health and Wellbeing team to look at ways to manage his depression and be more in control. But a short time after joining the service, Ernest’s partner became seriously ill and he had to spend time in hospital.
Morag continued to keep in touch with Ernest through regular welfare calls, continuing to provide as much reassurance and support as she could to help Ernest during one of the most difficult periods in his life. Thankfully, Ernest’s partner made a full recovery and he was able to resume with regular appointments. He had a renewed confidence and determination to find work, so Morag began supporting him with his jobsearch.
While they looked for work, Ernest continued to meet with the Health and Wellbeing team, giving him the tools to recognise the signs when his depression was worsening and how to manage this going forward.
Getting the job
Ernest found a temporary food processing job at a local factory. Morag helped finance his travel costs until he received his first wage which was a huge help for Ernest making that first step back in to work. This job was perfect for him as he was able to get relevant work experience while caring for his partner, who was still in recovery.
It wasn’t long before Ernest's temporary role was coming to end, he mentioned to Morag that he has a passion for driving. With this in mind, she began looking for driving jobs and was delighted to show him a courier position with Pegasus. He was eager to apply and was successful.
He really enjoys his new job and feels good about finally having a stable wage. Ernest said: “Morag and Fair Start Scotland have been a great help to me. My life was transformed, and I couldn’t be happier.”