I WON’T BE BEATEN BY MY DYSLEXIA
GROWING up, Billy Bennett always found his dyslexia a challenge, particularly at school. But now, Billy, 53, of Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, has adapted how he works and is a lead maintenance engineer for Travelodge.
What does your job involve on a day-to-day basis?
I’m an early riser and always start the day with a coffee and a walk with my dog.
When I’m ready to start work, the first thing I do is check emails to see any jobs that came in overnight, then I look at the app where we receive our jobs and record what we’ve done.
After that it’s off to work in the van. Some days I could be fixing TVs, taps, windows etc across a number of hotels.
I monitor jobs on my phone as they come in through the day.
What do you enjoy the most about your career?
Struggling with dyslexia, a typical nine-to-five job sitting at a laptop all day wouldn’t be suitable for me. It’s not where my skill set lies.
Maintenance is great for me, from fixing a broken tap, fitting a new bed or giving the corridors a new lick of fresh paint – the job remains active.
No two days are the same and there are constantly things to do that require more physical skills. I also love seeing and interacting with different people every day.
It’s always great to help my colleagues out with jobs across the hotels. I also like the time on my own while driving and I enjoy listening to music as I move from job to job.
It’s also great knowing that I can call any of my team, past or present, any time.
And people in more senior positions will always find time to answer any questions I have. I like to think I return this favour too.
What are the big challenges you face in your role?
Probably learning to do things on my phone but the Travelodge dedicated app is easy to navigate and has helped me a lot.
I also have to make sure I don’t get side-tracked on duties. It can slow my whole day down.
Has your learning disability ever affected your work?
I was always told in school and other workplaces “I wasn’t smart enough” and was always put down, particularly in my work life. I didn’t find out I was dyslexic until I was 18 and was working as a postman. So I went on to learn the skills I needed to be a self-employed bespoke furniture installer and kitchen fitter.
When did you decide to join Travelodge?
I first started working with the firm four years ago as an engineer, after deciding to give up selfemployment.
I have more than 30 years of experience in the maintenance industry so when I saw a position available at Travelodge, it was an obvious choice.
Since then I have felt nothing but welcomed and encouraged.
All of my colleagues have been incredibly supportive, and the senior management team has made me feel like we are all the same and that all of our jobs are what make Travelodge brilliant.
How did you get your promotion?
It was with the backing of my management team that I joined the four-month Travelodge Maintenance Aspire Programme – a management training course.
Initially, I felt quite apprehensive about applying but decided to give it a go. I’m so glad I did as I was able to enhance my skills further and work up to my current position as lead engineer.
I was always told I wasn’t smart enough now I love my job as a lead engineer