Copyright newsletter
Daniel Hunter is from the Carrickfergus area and has worked for Stena Line since 2022. His journey began just over ten years ago when he was first referred to the Trust’s Day Opportunities programme, which supports adults with a learning disability to ensure they can achieve their true potential. After leaving school, Daniel accessed training schemes through employment agencies with the goal of obtaining a job. When these were unsuccessful, he recognised that he needed some additional support. Allen Rankin, Day Opportunities Coordinator, said: “Daniel and myself worked very closely together to identify his goals, which were focused on employment and ideally within the travel and tourism industry. “Daniel was referred to Mencap’s Supported Employment Service which really helped him to expand his training, build a CV and develop his interview skills, giving him access to the right guidance to get him to where he wanted to go.” With gaining meaningful work experience a key component, Daniel secured a placement at Centra where he undertook a range of duties. With Allen’s support, Daniel went a step further and began accredited training through the Northern Regional College in Newtownabbey, successfully achieving qualifications in application of numbers and communication. He then worked with Ailish Murphy, a Supported Employment Officer at Mencap, to develop his CV, apply for jobs and prepare for interview. Allen added: “Daniel knew what he wanted to achieve and he was prepared to put the work in to get there. We were delighted to see his efforts pay off when he secured a job with Stena Line working onboard the Belfast to Cairnryan route.” Working seven days on and seven days off the ship, Daniel thrived in his new environment. Recently, he swapped his sea legs for an on-shore job with Stena Line, working in the demanding freight ‘check-in’ department as a full-time customer service agent. The local man has continued to thrive in the busy tourism sector and has even bumped into a few well-known faces along the way, including Scottish singer, Lewis Capaldi. Have you got a story you want to share with our readers? You can now send it to us online via YourWorld at https://www.yourworld.net/submit/ It's free to use and, once checked, your story will appear on our website and, space allowing, in our newspapers.
