Helen’s lifeline

WORKING for the Get Oldham Working team has been a lifeline for Helen Longshaw and now she is eager to help others get ahead.

Helen (34), from Failsworth, is on a six-month traineeship with the team as a project support officer after being helped back into work following years as a stay-at-home mum.

She said: “When my youngest turned five, I was encouraged to go and sign up for job seekers and they helped me get on a course for single parents trying to get back into work.”

The course is broken down into three weeks of classroom training and three weeks of work experience.

Helen said: “The course is there to help boost confidence and improve employability.

“I was able to choose where I took my work experience and I chose the council.”

Helen got two months’ work experience and then the Get Oldham Working team offered her a longer-term paid placement.

Helen said: “My placement will come to its end in May, but I’ll have a much-improved CV and I’ve had the chance to refresh a lot of the skills that I alread had.

“I was really worried about taking on a job after so much time off but everyone has been really helpful and I’ve been really surprised how well I’ve done.”

Now Helen focuses on helping people who, like her, need a job confidence boost.

She said: “I go to the job club every Tuesday and sit down with people who were in a similar position to me.

“I can relate to them and help them understand they can get into jobs again.”