Swapping trades leads to success

Richard Bosworth, 29, from Rocester near Uttoxeter, was made redundant in November 2008 after working for 12 years with a local welding company.

He said: “I was unemployed and on JobSeeker’s Allowance at the time and had looked at various courses on the internet because I fancied a change in career and had always done DIY."

Richard was helped through the North Staffordshire Workforce Development Programme run by trade union UNITY through the North Staffordshire Regeneration Partnership (NSRP).

The programme gave immediate and specific support to people facing redundancy in North Staffordshire, including funding free skills courses. Advantage West Midlands (AWM) contributed nearly £1.5million in funding and the programme was so successful it was run throughout the region by Unity under the name Better West Midlands.

He said: “The JobCentre referred me to the Programme and they paid for me to do a free tiling course.

“The course was excellent. They are all run by people who are time-served in their trades and know what they are talking about. I would definitely recommend them.”

Richard, who has a partner and a seven-year-old daughter, set up his own firm, RCB Tiling, and has gradually built up a client base through minimal advertising and people he knows in the trades.