Member Article

Royal Armouries is 'joust the job' for Barry!

A partnership between a major Leeds tourist attraction and Ingeus, which delivers the government’s Work Programme in the region, means the job-seeking frustrations of a 22-year-old West Yorkshire man are finally over. And for Barry Susse, who lives in Woodlesford, it also means he can end the mission he set himself over the past year - applying for at least one job every day of the week.

Barry has just been appointed a commercial assistant at the historic Royal Armouries in the city, looking after customers, minding the visitor shop and helping thousands of people each week make the most of their day out.

Having very little luck on his own, Barry was referred to Ingeus for specialist support by his local Jobcentre Plus office. His turning point came shortly afterwards when, having discussed his career aspirations, Ingeus suggested to him that the vacancy at Royal Armouries would be a good match. Barry wanted to work in a customer role and his employment advisor helped him prepare by ensuring his CV was ready to impress. He was also encouraged to rehearse job interviews so that, when he faced the real thing, he would be at ease.

“Being unemployed meant life was monotonous and not what I wanted. Each day was a rollercoaster ride, from optimism when I applied for vacancies, to total pessimism when I then heard nothing back,” he said. “Even though I took a rigorous approach to job hunting, my lack of success was a source of despair. Being unemployed is financially tough, but emotionally it’s even tougher.”

“Royal Armouries has a constant need for people with Barry’s experience of dealing with the public and who are able to use their own initiative to ensure our visitors really enjoy themselves,” said Sundeep Kaur, who is part of Royal Armouries’ recruitment team. “We offer a wide range of roles here and we have been looking for more effective means of recruiting. By working alongside Ingeus we have access to people like Barry who have varied skills and abilities – it’s an ideal solution.”

Ingeus is one of the UK’s leading welfare-to-work providers, supporting unemployed people into lasting work. The company offers a free recruitment service to employers which ranges from CV-sifting to hosting full recruitment days. Ingeus continues to support new employees for up to two years once they start work, helping employers to increase staff retention. In addition, the Youth Contract Wage Incentive offers financial subsidies to those employing 18 to 24-year-olds on the Work Programme.

“The best part of my job is that I’m never doing the same thing two days running, and I have to think on my feet as visitors always ask different questions,” added Barry. “It’s a stark contrast to being unemployed when my biggest dilemma was how to pass the time each day.”

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