A WOMAN has helped more than 60 people in New Addington back into work in just over a year – but is still not able to find employment herself.
Jayne Laville, 41, set up the successful New Addington Job Club, based at New Addington Pathfinders' base in the Octagon Building, last March and has since set up her second club in Fieldway at the Community Family Hub.
The new club, in partnership with social enterprise company Play Place, takes direct referrals from the Job Centre in Dingwall Road.
The New Addington club, with only one four -our session a week, has already helped 64 people back into work.
And Jayne, who previously worked in marketing, said she started the club because she "didn't want to sit around and do nothing" about her employment situation.
Jayne, who has autism, said: "I started the club because I was out of work and I wanted to give someone a job. By helping others get a job, hopefully I will end up with a job.
"I'm still not being paid but at least I'm doing something about it."
Although the club will take on referrals, Jayne is clear they will try to help anyone if they ask for it.
The club arms jobseekers with skills that may not come naturally to them; be it preparing a good CV, guidance on what career might be best for them or how to conduct themselves in a formal interview.
One 22-year-old member of the Fieldway club, who asked not to be named, was receiving training on how to fix a bike at the Croydon Auto-Bikes Scheme prior to Tuesday's club.
Having previously had a job fitting tyres, he now has his mind set on becoming a mechanic.
He said: "It is good because I didn't even know how to go about applying for a job before."
Jayne hopes to have people turned around and into work within six weeks of joining the club but stresses that "everyone is different".
"A lot of people might not know that they already have skills," she added.
"You talk to people who might have sold drugs and even the skills involved in that show business sense."
