When Joe, who had been made redundant in his old job, discovered Driving School thanks to a recommendation from a friend, all he was after was a stable job. It’s turned out to be far more than that.

Joe learned everything from vehicle maintenance to road safety, and is now a fully qualified class 2 licensed driver. Driving a huge vehicle can be daunting at first, but with plenty of support from the team, his confidence grew alongside his skills. This challenge became a great learning experience, with each day bringing fresh skills and a deeper realisation of what he could do.

Now he’s working with teammate Andy, they share the driving and vehicle checks across their 4 days on. “Being out on the road is just great, you know, you’ve got one of the greatest office views.” The countryside. Towns and cities. The people. Even the occasional animal…there’s a whole lot of variety to be had.

While he never thought of himself as the ‘active type’, having a physical job has been a revelation. He’s not sat down at a desk getting bored all day, he’s up and at it. Lifting sofas is hard work, but it has its benefits. “I’ve lost weight and I feel a lot healthier in myself.” You grow to love that well-earned, muscle-tired feeling at the end of a good day’s graft. “You deserve that sit down at the end of the day.”