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Painting and Decorating: Daren wasn’t going to let anything stop him from getting qualifications in his favoured trade.
When Daren first left school he worked as a general labourer for 3 years. Unfortunately he was involved in a road traffic accident in 1993 and had to have his left arm amputated below the elbow. Daren managed to adjust to his new situation and trained in communication maintenance, installing telephones for a family business until 1999. He then became self-employed and did all types of painting and decorating together with light construction and demolition work. However, the work ran out and he became unemployed in 2004.
After nearly two years out of work, Daren decided he needed qualifications in a trade. Painting and decorating was the obvious choice as he had some experience. He applied to the Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation Training College through his Disability Employment Adviser at the Jobcentre, and started the course in June 2006. He is pictured, above, in one of the training workshops at the College. He said, ” I felt that the training course taught me all the fundamental basics, and the practical work I did has now helped me earn a living. I enjoyed my time at the College. I thought the instructors, Ruth and Simon, were very good, and they really look after you.” In turn, his instructors were very impressed with him! On his final report Ruth said, “Daren worked well towards his course and college life. Considering his disability, he worked twice as hard to ensure a good standard. Having said that, he worked faster than anyone else in the group, and the work he produced was outstanding. Daren was a pleasure to have on the course, a good all round character, he brought fun and laughter to the course, got on with everybody around the College and helped others overcome their hurdles.”
In summary, Daren said, “I loved being at the College. I couldn’t really fault it!”
Daren completed the course, gained his City and Guilds qualification, and decided to go self-employed and start building a business. He is currently sub-contracted to a building firm “Another Storey”, renovating a house. He’s decorating a newly built extension, following through after the carpenters and builders.
Ruth recently went to visit him at work to present him with a certificate for “Student of the Year” awarded to him by the paintbrush manufacturers, “Hamilton Acorn”, who liaise each year with several colleges, and present an award at each one. They also gave him a tool kit (brushes, scrapers etc.) with his name engraved on every item. He’s pictured here, at his place of work, proudly holding the certificate. All in all, things seem to have worked out very well for Daren!
