Cornelius Swanepoel had been unemployed for one year after moving to Wishaw from South Africa in April 2022. Before moving Cornelius, 70, had been a Minister however he could not move into a ministerial position in the UK until he had lived and preached here for three years.
In April 2023 he joined the Fair Start Scotland service looking to find a job that would enable him to support him and his wife until he could return to a ministry role.
Cornelius was introduced to his Key Worker, Andrew Mckee, who helped him to identify his barriers and access the support he needed. He shared that he was struggling financially and lacked IT skills which had limited his ability to search for work independently.
His responsibilities at home also limited his flexibility when looking for work as he needed something he could fit around his wife’s needs.
Andrew began supporting Cornelius by referring him to our Community Partnership Network (CPN) member, Citizens Advice. Their Financial Inclusions Team provided advice and support to help ease his financial concerns.
He then organised employability development sessions for Cornelius where he was supported to identify his transferrable skills and update his CV. He also attended sessions that focused on improving his digital skills.
Once Cornelius felt more prepared to start working, he began looking at roles within the care industry as his previous experience as a Minister and the transferable skills he had developed helping his wife meant he would be well suited to the sector.
Cornelius was supported by our Employer Account Manager to apply for a Support Worker role with a local care company. After a successful interview, he began working in November 2023.
Speaking about his experience Cornelius said: “I am so grateful for all the support that everyone at Remploy has provided me so far. I cannot thank them enough for how helpful they have been.”
