John

John Curds was out of work for nine years with recurring problems due to breaking his back. He's now in the driving seat again with a new role as a bus driver.

Following a referral from his local Jobcentre Plus to Remploy's team in Swansea, John Curds is now back in employment - working as a bus driver for Veolia Transport.

He came to Remploy with low confidence, which he believes was as a result of receiving benefits. He explained, "I used to lead an active life and worked outdoors for many years, but my back caused too many problems and I was forced to receive benefits, which in itself was demoralising.

"Remploy discussed with me the many different employers they work with across the area and it was from this conversation that I was introduced to the possibility of becoming a bus driver," he said.

Remploy arranged for John to undertake a PSV Driver Training course to help him on his way. He now works four days a week as a driver for one of the UK's newest transport operators, Veolia Transport.

John added: "Veolia was very accommodating and we discussed the various driving options. As I have problems with sudden movements we decided that the best line of work would be as a private hire driver - so now I get to explore a bit of the world at the same time!

"It's nice to be back in employment after such a long time. The help I received from Remploy was great. The job is not one I envisaged doing but it's good to be out and about and earning a wage at last."