IT may be doom and gloom for a lot of jobseekers across the country, but a Warrington firm is bucking the national trend and getting people back into work at the rate of one person a day.

Action for Employment (A4E), on Scotland Road, has featured on Channel Four’s Benefit Busters after helping clients sent to them by Jobcentre Plus who have been unemployed for six months or more.

The company’s formula of building up people’s confidence and providing them with whatever it is they need to get a job has been so successful that 120 people in Warrington have got back into work in the past four months.

Brent Jolly, business manager, said: “From buying people push bikes so they can get to work to getting bus passes and helping with CVs and interview techniques, whatever the problem is we can help.

“It’s all about building up people’s self-esteem and bringing down any barriers that they think there might be.”

Examples of people who have broken down ‘barriers’ are all around the office as the staff include single mums and a father with seven children.

Brent added: “When people have reasons for not getting a job we can point to our recruitment consultants and say ‘well look, they’ve done it and they have the same problem as you’.

“It helps people to believe it’s possible and gives them the confidence they need.”

For some, attending A4E has proved to be a life-changing experience as a 48-year-old, who did not wish to be named, from Dallam admits.

She said: “I lost my mum and my job in the same week and was feeling very low to the point of considering suicide.

“I really wanted to work so I could feel like a human being again.

“A4E staff were wonderful towards me and really helped me turn everything around.

“I’m a support worker now and love my job.”

As well as CV help, A4E provides a variety of training from basic maths and English up to fork lift truck licences and security qualifications as well as job placements at stores like B&Q, TK Maxx and the British Heart Foundation.

Brent added: “The placements work on lots of levels as they give the person the opportunity to work in different areas. Often it leads to the employer taking them on or if not they’ve got someone who they can put on their CV as a reference.”

Darren Hunt, aged 22, from Longford, is one of those success stories.

He starts at the electronics store Maplins on February 1 after impressing his new employees during a placement.

Phil Winteron, Maplins manager, said: “On face value Darren would not have got past the interview stage.

“He had no experience and no references so theoretically there would have been alot of people ahead of him.

“During his placement he fitted in very well with the team and does a great job for us, so when we had a place to fill the job was as good as his.

“It can be a financial burden taking people on, training them up then they move or leave, so this way is much better for everybody.”

Darren added: “I’m looking forward to getting back into work but really looking forward to spending my wages!”