After a year out of work, a disabled man from Glasgow has scored a work double century! Not only is Badar Baitfaraj the 100th successful jobseeker to find work through Remploy's city centre recruitment branch, but he has also just achieved a perfect 100 per cent score in his customer service training with new employer, beCogent.
The 31-year-old father of two has congenital telipes; deformities in both feet that restrict his movement and can make standing and walking extremely painful. After struggling to maintain previous jobs, Badar was reluctantly unemployed for over a year and gradually lost faith in his ability to work.
"I got deeply depressed knowing that I couldn't support my family and do all the everyday things in life," said Badar. "The impact on my family was huge and I totally lost confidence in myself."
Jobcentre Plus in Springburn referred Badar to Remploy's recruitment branch on St Vincent Street in Glasgow where he was given training in confidence building, communication skills and customer service. He underwent mock interviews with Remploy employment advisor, Linda Liddell, and was kitted out with his first ever suit, courtesy of the branch's Smart for Work scheme. Badar then attended a branch jobs fair where employer partner beCogent was recruiting for customer service advisors.
After successfully completing an interview and telephone assessment he walked straight into a new job, and the record books, as the branch's 100th successful candidate!
Remploy's Glasgow branch opened its doors in March this year and was officially launched by Glasgow Central MP Mohammad Sarwar in July. In just eight short months it has built strong employer partnerships with leading local employers like beCogent and 100 local people with disabilities and health conditions are now enjoying the lifestyle benefits of fulfilling employment as a result.
beCogent is one of the UK's leading providers of outsourced customer contact services and operates four contact centres in the central Scotland area. Its high profile clients include Argos, Virgin Media and House of Fraser. Badar is training to be a customer service advisor for another of its blue-chip clients; John Lewis Direct.
Badar said: "I love being back at work and learning new things, while meeting new friends and colleagues is an added bonus. I couldn't have done it without the Remploy team. They went out of their way to support me and helped me find my confidence again."
The beCogent training department confirmed that Badar was the only delegate in his training group to score 100 per cent in the customer service training, and 97 per cent in order training, further noting that Badar is a keen learner and highly regarded by his colleagues.
beCogent's HR manager Laura Rankine said "Our partnership with Remploy is going from strength to strength. As a company we are looking for talented and enthusiastic employees. Proactively working with Remploy gives us direct access to an entire pool of untapped potential. We're thrilled to welcome Remploy Glasgow's 100th successful candidate to beCogent."
Remploy is the UK's leading provider of specialist employment services to people who experience complex barriers to work and last year found jobs in mainstream employment for 6,500 people with a range of disabilities and health conditions. Glasgow is one of 23 Remploy branches nationwide. In Scotland, there are branches in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Hamilton.
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