Member Article

My ideal job - From Australia to Durham

A COUNTY Durham woman has returned to the North East from the other side of the world to take on her dream job.

Recruitment specialist Siobhan Goodfellow had just settled in Australia with her family when she received the call to come home to manage a new office for The Education Network in County Durham.

Siobhan, from Crook, had been working for a recruitment agency in Hull when she was offered what she thought was her perfect job in Australia. She and her family sold everything, packed up and had moved to the other side of the world, when the call came that tempted her back home.

She said: “I know it’s another huge upheaval in just a matter of months, but I really couldn’t turn down the chance to come home to the North East and take on what is the ideal job for me.

“It’s a good thing that I have an understanding family who were prepared to make another move so quickly to allow me to follow my dream.”

The job that Siobhan couldn’t resist was the opportunity to manage the new Spennymoor office for The Education Network. The specialist recruitment agency, which is part of the Pertemps Network Group, already has offices in Newcastle, Nottingham, Warrington. Birmingham, Manchester, Peterbourgh, and Chelmsford.

The agency represents teachers, teaching assistants, nursery nurse staff and SEN specialists, and matches them with schools and colleges looking for staff, be it supply work for short-term contracts or long-term, permanent roles.

Director Shaun Porter, who is based at the Newcastle office, brought Siobhan on board because the North East business is growing rapidly and The Education Network needed another office to service the south of the region.

He said: “I knew Siobhan was the right person for the job, and even though she had just moved to Australia, I wanted to give her the chance to come back to manage the new office. I’m really pleased she decided to return to the North East.

“We have opened up in Spennymoor to deal with the increasing number of calls we are receiving from educational establishments in County Durham and Teesside.

“We cover all education sectors from early years to further education colleges, SEN schools and pupil referral units. We might get load of calls first thing in the morning when teachers call in sick, so we have to react quickly and find emergency supply staff, or we may be asked to provide staff for long term cover such as maternity leave.”

The Education Network is currently marking its 20th year in business working with schools and colleges. Its clients include Walbottle Campus in Newcastle, which has benefited from a £2,000 cheque towards employing qualified dance tutors from The Education Network. The agency also provided new kits for the school’s four basketball teams, plus coaching sessions with Newcastle Eagles star Aaran Nielson.

ENDS

Photo shows: Siobhan and Shaun celebrating the new office’s opening Oz style

More information from Keith Newman Highlights PR 07814 397951

DURHAM

Enterprise House, Suite 9

Meadowfield Avenue

Spennymoor

DL16 6JF

Tel: 01388 810273

Fax:01388 827439

Email: durham@ednetwork.co.uk

NEWCASTLE

Watson House

New Bridge Street

Newcastle Upon Tyne

Newcastle

NE1 8AQ

Telephone: 0191 232 3780

Fax: 0191 232 3111

Email: newcastle@ednetwork.co.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Keith Newman .