A former window and door fabricator who was made redundant has secured a dream role as a welder after receiving support and funding towards a new qualification.

Brian Dodd, 47, from Wrexham, was unemployed for nearly a year due to an injury and had found it had impacted his mental health before he was put back on track.

After coming across the ReAct+ programme on social media, Brian met with an advisor at Working Wales, a careers advice service for adults.

He continued: “Picking up the phone and calling Working Wales after seeing the advert was a huge step for me.

“I’d had no motivation for months after my redundancy but seeing there was personalised support available to me brought some hope that I could get back into work even with my injury.”

After an initial discussion with a Working Wales adviser, Brian realised that his ambition of going back into trade and becoming a TIG welder was not as impossible as he first thought.

He said: “I loved working in trade in the early stages of my career, and after experiencing a bit of welding in my previous role, I knew that my dream was to go into TIG welding.

“This felt like an unrealistic vision as I knew that I needed specific qualifications that I didn’t have to get into the industry and was worried that my injury would hold me back.”

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Through the ReAct+ programme, Brian was offered £1,500 worth of funding towards getting a City and Guilds Level 3 Welding qualification and CV advice to put him in the best position when applying for his dream role in TIG welding.

Brian has now been in his role as welder at Range Fabrication for four months and says he is the happiest he has been in his career.

Brian and his wife credit the ReAct+ programme and Working Wales for turning his life around.

He added: “The support I received to get my new role has been invaluable and it has given me a new lease of life.

“Looking back, I was not in a good place during my redundancy, I thought my injury and lack of qualifications would hold me back from entering my dream role.

“My wife also cannot thank Working Wales enough for turning our lives around, she’s so grateful to have Brian back!”

Brian also has strong advice for those affected by redundancy or have been out of work.

“If I had one piece of advice it would be don’t give up and believe in yourself and your abilities. I was worried that an employer would think less of me or be reluctant to employ me due to my injury but it’s important not to let an injury or health condition impact your confidence.

“For those who have a health condition, programmes like ReAct+ are there to offer tailored support for your specific needs and give you the chance to change your life for the better.

“You have to believe in yourself, and I’m proof that with the extra training, support, and funding, you can get back to your old self and do a job you love.”