Confidence boost leads to job with county council’s highways team.

A young man from Stafford has landed himself a full-time job with Staffordshire County Council, having completed a highly successful Open Door Staffordshire work experience programme.

28-year-old Jonathan Roberts from Stafford secured his job with The Traffic and Network Management Team at the authority, following his 12-week work experience placement with the team.

Facing various challenges to work and not having a great deal of luck in finding employment for himself, Jonathan got in touch with the Open Door team, within the Staffordshire Jobs and Careers Service. It was Mick Sturland; one of six expert Employment Brokers who started him off on his journey.

Jonathan started his 12-week Open Door placement in June 2023 and made an immediate impact in the team. During the placement, he started to help with a much-needed data cleanse task. Once that was completed, he moved onto registering online applications, which included identifying company requests to place skips and scaffolds on highways land and sending approvals to the customer. He also learnt how to deal with parking queries, forwarding enquiries to the correct traffic and network area, picking things up very quickly.

When a full-time paid position arose in the team, armed with some good experience, the necessary skills and some tips on writing a good CV and performing well in an interview from Mick, Jonathan applied for the job. To his surprise, he was offered the job and is due to start later this month.

“For me it was all about getting my confidence back and getting on in the workplace,” said Jonathan.

“I was working towards my HGV licence but it wasn’t for me. I did have an interest in highways and how the roads were managed, which is why I jumped at the chance of the placement with the highways team.

“Mick has been really helpful organising the placement for me, as well as giving me a lot of tips and advice on completing job applications and doing interviews, which ultimately helped me get the full time job. My colleagues in the Network and Traffic management department were also great and made me feel part of the team from day one.

“Life is good and I’m really enjoying my new job. I’d definitely recommend Open Door to anyone struggling to get on the jobs market, you’ll get a real helping hand.”

Philip White, Deputy Leader at Staffordshire County Council said: “Jonathan’s story is another great example of how the Staffordshire Jobs and Careers service and Open Door programme is helping people get the work experience they need to change career or find work.

“Helping improve people’s skills is vital for our economy to prosper and means that they’ll be in a better position to take advantage of the better skilled jobs in the future. The Staffordshire Jobs and Careers service is an important part of that process and I would urge anyone looking to upskill, change career or find a job to contact the team.”

The Open-Door programme is available through the new Staffordshire Jobs and Careers service. This is a comprehensive service with advice on jobs, careers, training and learning opportunities in Staffordshire, all in one place. The Employment Brokers offer bespoke advice and guidance to residents to find employment across the County and to support businesses with their recruitment requirements.

People can find out more at Staffordshire Job & Careers Brokerage for Residents.