Work and Employability Training - Dane's Story

In 2008, Dane Phillips was one of 12,196 learners who turned their lives around with CSV. In August 2009, Dane was named NIACE Adult Learner of the Year for the West Midlands. He told us…

“I grew up in the Rhondda Valley, which was a very hard place to live. My father was a drinker and gambler who ruled the roost with his fists. I never really attended school as I felt I did not fit in.

I joined the army at 16 and stayed in for five and a half years. When I came out of the army I started drinking heavily, got into trouble fighting and started taking drugs. I felt my life was going nowhere.

I eventually moved to Hereford, looking for a new start and was offered an Employability Skills course with CSV. In just 16 weeks I gained certificates in Adult Literacy and Numeracy, an Employability Award and an NVQ in Customer Service. At the end of the course I got a job as driver and machine operator at Plynlimon Trust. I’ve been there for nearly a year.

Having a job means so much to me. It is nice to be able to pay my way rather than claiming benefits; I can pay my bills and treat my family. I am happier than I have been in a long time.  

The staff at CSV Hereford were fantastic. Without them, I often wonder where I would be now.”