A man with cerebral palsy who has spent 10 per cent of his life shielding and on Universal Credit has landed his dream role after applying for 100 jobs during lockdown. Tom Burbidge, 22, from Lewisham, is due to start his new employment on Tuesday (March 1), thanks to the Government’s Kickstart Scheme.
Speaking to MyLondon, Tom says that he has had one job in the past, but it was an apprenticeship which only lasted three months. He said: “During Covid, I was unable to work as I was shielding – I have cerebral palsy and epilepsy, so I was definitely in the high-risk category.
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“I do think it’s harder to get jobs when you’re disabled. I don’t think it’s always intentional, it’s more of a subconscious thing in people’s brains that they don’t think you’ll be able to do certain things.
“I applied for around 100 jobs on LinkedIn, I was literally applying for anything and everything that came up. Shielding during lock down was difficult, it was tough not being able to do anything, and just being forced to watch TV all day.
“I used to get bullied about my disability, especially when I was at school, but it’s far less common nowadays. I just get on with things and I don’t let it stand in my way – you just learn to live with it.. I’m so excited to start my new job, it’s a dream come true.”
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His new employer, Andy Coley, says that “there are hundreds of jobs” for people struggling with unemployment and on Universal Credit, but that they are not advertised as well as they could be. Andy, who runs his own coaching and training business, said: “Tom’s going to be my new employee from March 1 via the Government Kickstart programme, funded for six months. I was approved last summer for funding but it’s taken until now for me to find someone for the role.
“The Department for Work and Pensions put on two rounds of interviews for the job, nobody applied, the work coaches didn’t do anything and the poor guy who was my main contact at the DWP was so frustrated by the number of roles which are going who don’t have placements.”
“Tom will be doing my digital media, videos and much more. He’s delighted to be given a chance after spending 10 per cent of his life in lock downs and on Universal Credit. So if you can kick start the Kickstart programme yourself, there are definitely people out there wanting jobs for the right entrepreneurs.”
The Kickstart Scheme, funded by the UK Government, provides employers with opportunities to create new jobs for 16 to 24-year-old applicants on Universal Credit who “are at risk of long term unemployment”. The money covers the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage for 25 hours per week for a six-month period.
The scheme also covers National Insurance and pension contributions. Funding is available for training and support so that young people on the scheme can improve their chances of getting a job in the future.
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I’m Sam, a News Reporter at MyLondon with a special interest in covering court and crime. I started in September 2021, and I’m based in Ealing. You can follow my Facebook page here.
Three stories I’ve worked on in the past month that I’m particularly proud of are:
Coming from a small town in rural Scotland, my favourite thing about London is the incredible mix of people and exploring all the amazing independent pubs, restaurants and cafes that the city has to offer.
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