Business analyst who had a stroke at 43 turned his life around thanks to Randstad’s Returning To Work programme
Mark Bull, CEO of Randstad UK, said: 'Returning to work is one of the most important steps in getting back to normal after major life events.'
A BUSINESS analyst who had a stroke at 43 has turned his life around and returned to work.
Neil Mendonca collapsed at his home in Golders Green, North London in 2010 and was told he was just “two hours from death”.
He spent five months in London’s University College and Homerton hospitals before being discharged.
The damaging stroke aged Neil’s brain by ten years in medical terms but now he has retrained as an accountant and works part-time.
He did it with the help of job site Randstad after hearing about its Returning To Work programme, which helps people bounce back from long-term absences.
Neil said: “There is a perception that when someone has a gap in their employment history, they are lazy or not motivated.
“That is not always the case as people fall foul of serious illnesses all the time.”
Neil, now 50, added: “It’s empowering getting back to work but it’s a double-edged sword because you always remember what you were capable of.
“It feels like bereavement, knowing you are unable to work at the same high intellect but I remain positive.”
Mark Bull, CEO of Randstad UK, said: “Returning to work is one of the most important steps in getting back to normal after major life events. It’s important to prepare for the change.”
For more about the Randstad scheme, see .
Beam is a ray of light
SUPPORTING homeless people costs the UK £1.15billion a year, while failing to tap into the talents and work aspirations of tens of thousands of people.
One tech start-up thinks it has the answer. Beam crowdfunds money for homeless people to train for jobs, then supports them into stable employment.
It has won the backing of the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, the UK’s top tech entrepreneurs and James Bowen, ex-Big Issue vendor and author of top-selling book A Street Cat Named Bob.
“I believe people want to help but feel powerless,” says Beam founder, Alex Stephany.
“Crowdfunding technology makes it easy to help someone out of homelessness.”
Beam’s first member is Tony, a homeless man living in a hostel in south-east London.
In less than a month, Tony funded his campaign to train as an electrician, raising £4,378 from 136 supporters.
Beam members can also repay their funding by donating to future members’ campaigns once they are back in work via small monthly standing orders.
To donate, visit .
Jobspot: Thomas Cook is seeking a store manager to head up its Lincoln travel agency. See
Use tech to succeed
IT’S important to stay innovative as technology is changing the way business is done.
Make Elephants Fly by Steven S Hoffman is full of advice on getting the best out of your business – whether you’re running a cafe or a building site.
Here are Steven’s top three suggestions:
- Write down everything you believe to be true about your business, and then question each item. The world is changing fast, and with every change, something you’re doing becomes obsolete.
- Look at new technologies and see if you can apply any of these to problems with your business. There’s a good chance you can reduce or eliminate boring or time-consuming tasks.
- Dream big. Don’t think what’s possible today. Imagine what’s possible in the future.
Make Elephants Fly: The Process of Radical Innovation by Steven S Hoffman (Piatkus, £13.99)
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Woes so wearing
WOMEN workers spend FOUR MONTHS of their lives thinking about what to wear to work.
That’s according to a poll of 2,000 office workers by online jobs board .
TV presenter Anita Rani is supporting the firm’s campaign to highlight the impact of dress codes on employees and labels the survey results “alarming”.
She says: “Most women are very busy and worrying about what to wear to the office isn’t a productive use of time.
“There’s still an expectation that women should dress a certain way and it’s deemed acceptable that their appearance is commented on in a way you wouldn’t on a man.
“I thought the world had moved on from the Mad Men era but clearly not in some workplaces.”
Jobspot: Poundland is looking for a clothing manager for its Bromley High Street branch. See
Trades training heats up
A NEW training centre has been opened in a bid to tackle skills shortages in the gas and heating industries across London and the South East.
Swale Heating has invested £100,000 in developing the Energy Academy, which offers a range of courses for gas engineers, electricians, plumbers and installers.
The centre, in Sittingbourne, Kent, provides training tailored to new entrants to the industry, as well as to experienced engineers looking to expand and update their skills.
MP Gordon Henderson said his constituency bucks the trend of falling unemployment levels – with 2,010 people currently claiming jobseeker’s allowance or universal credit in the Swale borough.
He said the private sector is crucial in tackling joblessness.
Mr Henderson said: “While it’s important for jobs to be created, unemployed people need to be armed with the skills needed to succeed and I’m delighted this training centre has opened for the benefit of all.”
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