A disabled man from Ashton-under-Lyne is already winning awards in his first job, thanks to his excellent performance in helping keep Rochdale's Asda superstore squeaky clean.
Richard Bentley, 23, has a learning disability and was successfully nominated for an Asda Colleague Gift Award in recognition of his commitment and hard work. And what's more, he's just heard he's about to win another!
Until he was trained at Remploy's UK cleaning academy in Burnley, Richard was jobless and had been so since leaving school. Remploy, the UK's leading provider of specialist employment services for people with disabilities, health conditions and other complex barriers to work, helped him develop his practical skills, as well as those he would need for employment including job searching, CV writing and interview techniques. Richard's hard work quickly paid dividends - he applied for several jobs and got the one that was at the top of his list!
"I work for City Facilities Management, which keeps Asda's store cleaned to professional standards," said Richard. "At first, I went to Ashton's Jobcentre Plus, but they referred me to Remploy for specialist help, and that's exactly what I got."
"Richard is polite and conscientious," said boss Steve Rooney, who's the cleaning manager at the store. "He knows what is expected of him, and he responds accordingly."
Steve has made good use of Remploy's specialist employment services in the past, and believes the company offers high quality job-ready candidates.
"We need workers here who are willing to commit themselves to the job, and with Remploy that's guaranteed," he said. "Richard is a typical example - he wants to work and be part of our team, and he's proving it by winning award after award!"