Terry Gillan – Production Assistant

“Having a job has been a lifestyle change for me"

Hope followed by disappointment is often part of the emotional roller coaster that most job hunters go through. Not so for Terry Gillan of Glasgow. He defied the odds. His very first interview for a permanent job was a success that led to a job offer.

Terry, who has Spina Bifida, admits that he was nervous about his interview. He had no previous history of being interviewed or rejected for jobs so wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Eight years later however, Terry is one of the longest serving members of staff at Craven Publishing.

Employer's story

James Glasgow, editor of publications at Craven Publishing and Terry’s line manager, is keen to develop his role as a Production Assistant. He believes Terry has the potential to achieve more in his job. James says: “I’m increasing Terry’s responsibilities so that he’ll have knowledge and skills which are transferable throughout the industry.”

Terry is responding well to the increased pressure in his job, says James. He works on the advertising side of the business but his role is changing to incorporate quality control of adverts. James also wants to build on one of Terry’s key strengths which is his knowledge of the advertising business. “Because of his length of service with the company, he’s got to know the advertisers really well and has good relationships with them” says James.

Terry is a wheelchair user but no particular adjustments had to be made for him at the company’s premises. James says: “The only thing we need to do is to check that venues are accessible when we go out as a team for social events.” In previous offices, the company has used support from the ‘Access to Work’ scheme to install a ramp and electric doors in offices.

Employee's story

As a Production Assistant, Terry regularly liaises with the companies that advertise in Craven’s magazines. It’s his job to ensure that adverts come in on schedule, are accurate and are correctly placed in publications. It’s a job that requires excellent communication skills and good information and communication technology (ICT) skills. Terry has these skills and also has a particular interest in computers. He says: “I always wanted to work with computers which is exactly what I’m doing now.”

Terry achieved a National Certificate in Computing at college and had intended to take higher level computer qualifications. However, after a family bereavement he left college prematurely. For a while he had no interest in studying or working but eventually found the motivation to do something productive with his life. He says: “I got to the point of total boredom. There was no way I could keep doing nothing.”

A big difference

A Disability Employment Adviser at his local Jobcentre Plus helped Terry explore his options which led to an interview at Craven Publishing. He worked part time for several years but in January 2008, increased his working hours to full time, something Terry says he wished he had done sooner.

Employment has made a big difference to Terry’s life. “My days are much busier now” he says. Having a regular income has also brought other changes to his life such as the opportunity to own a car. Terry gains a lot of satisfaction from his job and feels a sense of achievement from seeing the results of his work on the printed pages of a glossy magazine. He says: “I’m really glad that I got this job and I’m happy with the plans for my job to develop.”

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