YOUNG and bright, with a cheerful disposition and optimistic outlook, it's hard to imagine why any employer wouldn't be beating a path to Daniel Allick's door.
But when 19 year-old Daniel left college, armed with an IT qualification and a good range of school GCSE passes, no-one wanted to know and no-one was on hand to help him build on his strengths and successes so far.
"I was a bit worried about what I was going to do after school so I went for IT, but at college they were more interested in people going to University. There wasn't much help for anyone wanting to get into work," explains Dan, who found out about Shaw Trust through his Disability Employment Advisor.
"I didn't realise there were so many options for someone like me until I was put in touch with the Trust, then it just got better and better," adds Dan, who suffers from a moderate to severe hearing loss and from mild Cerebral Palsy, which affects his balance and strength.
Shaw Trust began by finding Daniel a place on a Personal Development Course, which focuses on confidence building and improving interview and communication skills.
"That course was a really big confidence boost to me and I went on from that to a work placement, which has turned out to be just the job I was looking for," says Dan, who joined Shaw Trust-run Ayresome Industries.
For more than a year Dan has been busy working in a series of roles for the Company, which manufactures windows and doors. His IT skills are regularly put into use in his office-based administration role and there are plenty more challenges within the Company that he will be able to tackle in the future.
"Shaw Trust Development Officers are literally based just down the corridor here, so I still have their support and advice whenever I need it," he points out.
"For someone like me Shaw Trust has been ideal. I just needed someone to point me in the right direction and give me the right opportunity at the right time. Once I had that chance I haven't looked back."
