A formerly homeless man has secured a full-time job and apprenticeship in Salford thanks to a work placement with The Casey Group (Casey).
22-year-old Dylan McKellar, originally from Leeds, was offered work experience at construction firm Casey as part of the support provided by homelessness charity Emmaus Salford. Dylan impressed during his two-week placement and staff at Casey decided to offer him a full-time job and apprenticeship.
Dylan said: “The work is very hands on, there’s lots to learn and I’m really enjoying it. Since I did the work placement, other things have fallen into place and this has made my mental health much better – I’m buzzing!”
The Rochdale-based construction company has been working on the regeneration of Fitzwarren Court for housing association Salix Homes. Local charity Emmaus Salford, based next to Fitzwarren Court, helps formerly homeless people by providing a stable home, meaningful work and individual support for as long as they need it.
Before joining Emmaus, Dylan had previously been sleeping rough and sofa surfing with friends. Prior to becoming homeless, he had completed an NVQ in plumbing but had little work experience, which made finding a job difficult.
Eileen Mckay Crowe, Support Worker at Emmaus Salford said: “I mentioned to Tony Doran, Casey’s Senior Site Manager, that I was looking for some work experience for Dylan to help him gain some much-needed experience and build his confidence up.”
Tony and site manager George O’Neill agreed to help and within a week was able to offer Dylan weekly work experience, first as a labourer but then ad hoc plumbing opportunities.
Eileen added: “We are over the moon and so grateful to Casey, especially Tony and George. They have been amazing and have ensured Dylan is having a positive experience and learning good work practice and site health and safety. We really appreciate the opportunity for Dylan to gain a rewarding experience and re-enter the world of work.”
Paul Mooney, Asset Management Service Director at Salix Homes said: “We have worked with Casey on several projects over the years, including the regeneration of Albion Towers and our Poet’s estate. They have been working on Fitzwarren Court since 2018 and we choose them time and time again for their great work and commitment to improving the communities they work in.
“The main value at Casey is ‘improving lives’, which is what they’ve managed to do for Dylan by offering him valuable hands on experience. We’ve had a number of young people hone their skills at Fitzwarren Court through Casey’s apprenticeships and traineeship, Build Salford. We’re glad to have played a part in Dylan’s first steps towards a new career.”
To learn more and support Emmaus Salford, visit https://emmaus.org.uk/salford/
