Sean

Following 18 months' unemployment and claiming benefits, 20-year-old Sean Blair is revelling in the responsibility of answering 999 emergency calls at BT's customer service centre in Glasgow.

Health issues resulted in Sean losing his last job in a coffee house and dropping out of college. He lost all confidence and felt that prospective employers would be unwilling to give him a chance.

Sean was referred to Remploy by his local Jobcentre Plus and met with an advisor every fortnight to build his confidence and improve his interview skills. He attended mock interviews, visited employers and was given guidance on completing application forms.

Remploy then identified a vacancy for a customer service advisor with Manpower - a company that staffs BT's customer service centres. Sean visited the site and was offered the role after passing an assessment test.

Sean has now been in full-time employment with Manpower at BT since November 2005 and has become a valuable member of a small team dealing with emergency calls.

"My new job has changed my life in more ways than one," said Sean. "I'm better off financially, have much more independence and have met a new circle of friends through working."