Trainee written-off by school lands dream job thanks to a river

Two years ago, Ciar Kirby, from Darlington, became one of the first trainees to join Discover Brightwater, a £3.3m landscape partnership, celebrating life around the River Skerne, and supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Thanks to his hard work and the skills he has acquired through the project, Ciar has now secured a job with Mitie Group PLC, one of the UK’s foremost facilities services companies.

Ciar, now 20-years-old and a newly-employed Mitie grounds maintenance operative, said: “Through Brightwater, I found that what I really wanted to do was work outdoors, and with Mitie being a leader in the industry, it was a good place to apply.

“They were looking for someone with the skills for ground maintenance, and thanks to Discover Brightwater, I had the training to fit the bill. They really prepared me for this sort of work.

“Mitie have continued to help me develop, training me to use new equipment and vehicles, like zero-turn mowers. I really like working for them, so I’m hoping to stay.”

Ciar was one of the first four trainees taken on by Discover Brightwater and placed in the care of supervisor Tony Taylor, who dedicated himself to helping the youngsters realise their overlooked potential.

Ciar is now working for Mitie as a grounds maintenance operative (Image: Chris Barron)

Ciar and his team trained to safely use chainsaws, brush-cutters, powered-polesaws, and other equipment, gained qualifications, and learned vital countryside management skills, including ground maintenance, edge-laying, tree pruning, and landscaping.

Tony said: “I’m absolutely over the moon – most of our trainees have ended up in employment, and one decided he wants to work towards university. I feel my role has not just been to train them up, but to guide them, pass on some life skills, and help them work out what they really want to do with their lives.

“Ciar was quite shy when he started with Discover Brightwater – during his interview, he didn’t even want to turn his webcam on! But we thought he showed potential, so we offered him a role on the scheme on the condition that he came down and met us face to face. What really impressed me straight away was the effort he put into everything.

“He never complained, he took advice on board – he really relished the chance he’d been given. Even on days when Ciar wasn’t scheduled to work, he’d still turn up to get more experience and learn what he could. And his confidence just grew and grew.

“I’m really proud of what we’ve achieved with the scheme. It’s given kids who might’ve been written off a school a chance to succeed, to find work they enjoy, and have their talents and dedication recognised by employers.

“All of us at Brightwater wish Ciar the best for his future; I think Mitie have got a good thing with him on the team.”

Ciar’s new manager at Mitie, Scott Attenborough, said: “Ciar has shown in his time with us so far how much he wants to be part of the team and make a difference. His landscaping skills are improving every day under the tutelage of his mentor, Allan Story, and last month their team at the Darlington Education Village was nominated for Site of the Month for the North Teesside Region, subsequently winning the accolade for the Northeast Super-Region.

“At Mitie we are proud to welcome people from a range of backgrounds to our phenomenal team, offer training and development opportunities to our colleagues and deliver an exceptional service every day for our customers.”