REVVED UP BY PART-TIME ROLE
PART-TIME jobs are the perfect way to get a foot in the door and boost confidence – and are especially useful for people needing to get back into the workforce after lockdown.
As part of our Keep Britain Working campaign we’ve found 38,066 part- time roles ranging from cleaning to catering and IT to social care.
From supermarket assistants and fast-food restaurant staff to evening cleaning jobs, personal assistants and accounts posts, the opportunities are out there.
And often, as seen with Tesco which has opened up 16,000 permanent job posts, particularly for staff who joined them on a temporary basis in lockdown, a few hours each week can lead to a full-on career.
No one knows this better than Rhys Saveall, 21, from Braintree in Essex, who, thanks to a part-time Saturday job at Halfords, is there full-time as a motor technician.
“It was the best thing I could have done,” says Rhys. “Working one day a week I built up my confidence and got a real feel for the job. Once they could see what I was capable of, it helped Halfords know they could trust me.”
Rhys was initially taken on as part of a recruitment trial.
Neal Rhodes, training and apprenticeship manager at Halfords Autocentres, explains: “We trialled and introduced a scheme where we recruited full- time college students who were studying a level 2 or 3 motor vehicle qualification and were employed by us part-time.
“The benefits are it gives students work experience and a job in the motor industry, allowing them to become ‘ work ready’ and employable in their field.”
Rhys always knew he wanted to be a mechanic since tinkering with cars and bikes with his dad as a child.
“I loved nothing more than taking them apart and putting them back together again.”
After school he went straight to his local college to study Motor Vehicle Maintenance.
“I never doubted that it was the right thing but I was nervous about getting a job. I heard about the Halfords scheme in my third year and applied and started soon afterwards. It gave me just what I needed – the chance to see what the job was all about and the belief I could do it.”
Two years ago, after finishing college, Rhys was taken on fulltime. “Every day is full of problem solving and I love it. Newer cars have computers which tell you what is wrong which is great too, but I really enjoy having to work out why something is broken and how I can fix it.
“I was given a mentor so I could watch what they were doing and gradually take on more. Now I can do pretty much everything and I spend my days servicing and repairing whatever comes in.” Lockdown stopped Rhys getting his Hybrid Electric Vehicle Level 2 qualification but he’s set to do that soon.
“I love that I can keep learning and training. I’ve got to do my MoT testing qualification and then I can do everything in the workshop.
“You never know, one day I may own my own garage. None of it would have happened without the Saturday job.”
GET YOUR FOOT IN THE DOOR
At fish4jobs.co.uk we found 13,424 part-time jobs including school cleaners in Macclesfield in Cheshire (£8.72 per hour), a school catering assistant in Ingatestone,
Essex (£12,478.09), a health centre receptionist in Helston, Cornwall (competitive), and an excavator operator in Castle Douglas, Galloway (£16 an hour).
There are 16,552 part-time roles at gov.uk/find-a-job ranging from restaurants to self-employed work with direct-selling companies.
We spotted a weekend catering assistant in Chester (£8.72), a bar team member in Halifax, West Yorks (£ 8.72), and a tool sales assistant in Manchester (£8.20).
There are 6,020 part- time, evening and weekend jobs on Gumtree (gumtree.com) including a cleaner in Cirencester, Glos (£11), a gardener in Leeds (£95 a day), and a delivery driver in Bromley (£ 8.72 plus £1 per delivery). Hayes Jobs ( hayesjobs. co.uk) has 2,070 jobs, including an administrator (£10) in London.
Supermarket chains often have night work, job shares, school hours and term-time-only jobs for rapidly expanding online orders, stacking shelves and in customer service. Check in stores for vacancies or at a Jobcentre.
It gave me the chance to see what the job was all about and the belief I could do it
Halfords: halfordscareers.com Tesco tesco-careers.com