When Adrian Westwood’s company closed and he lost his job, it took a while for him to get his head around it.
“I’d had three redundancies before and I tried to take the positives out of it, even though it was challenging,” says Adrian, 61, from Burntwood, near Lichfield. “I thought I’ve only got a few years left of my working life, and it was too early to take my pension because I would lose money. I’ve still got a lot to offer and I do like going to work.”
But at nearly 60, Adrian didn’t know where his next job would come from. When his old employer offered him a place on a coaching scheme, he wasn’t sure whether to take it. “It opened my eyes. I don’t think I’d be in this position now if it wasn’t for that course.”
After the course, Adrian uploaded his updated CV to an online jobs site and was soon contacted for an interview for a machine setter. “I really enjoy it,” says Adrian. “It’s quite daunting when you first start a new job, but you get loads of support. If you don’t want to retire, don’t retire. It’s like a book: you come to the end of one chapter and you start another one.” he says. “You may not realise how many skills you have – make sure your CV is the best it can be, and get out there”.
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