Gareth’s story

Gareth was able to retrain and secure a new role after redundancy.

Gareth had worked in the education sector for over a decade when he faced redundancy. After 11 years in his role, he decided to take the opportunity to step back and think about his future.

He said, "After working solidly for years, it felt like the right time to pause and think about what I wanted to do next."

However, the job search process soon became frustrating. "I was applying for jobs I didn’t really want, just to meet requirements. It was quite a depressing process."

Finding direction

Gareth was encouraged to contact Working Wales and began receiving support from careers adviser, Kelly.

During their sessions, they explored his experience, priorities and what he wanted from his next role.

He said, "Talking to Kelly really helped crystallise what I was thinking. It narrowed things down and gave me focus."

Together, they identified the civil service as a strong option. It would offer long-term stability, career development and good benefits.

Gareth began applying for roles and received support with his applications. This included help to strengthen his personal statement.

Building skills and confidence

Alongside his job search, Gareth accessed funded training through the ReAct+ programme.

With Kelly’s support, he completed an Agile Project Management foundation and practitioner course.

He said, "The course was fully funded and gave me recognised qualifications. I use those skills every week now."

He also had support from employability coach, CK, who helped him prepare for interviews.

Gareth said, "CK practiced interview questions with me and showed me how to improve my answers. It was really focused and made a big difference without knocking my confidence." Soon after, Gareth successfully secured a role as a case manager with Companies House.

He said, "The first job I applied for after that support, I got it."

Moving forward

Gareth is now enjoying his new role. He said, "There’s a real customer focus. You can make a difference to someone’s day, and that’s something I really enjoy."

Reflecting on his journey, Gareth believes the support he received made a significant difference. He said, "Kelly helped steer me in the right direction and made the whole process feel much more focused and manageable.

"It really helps to talk things through with someone who can guide you and help you focus on what you actually want."

If you’ve been affected by redundancy and feel you need redundancy support or access to training and upskilling, please visit Redundancy Support or contact us.

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