Aron’s part of the CCG gang

“I don’t know what I would do without them,” says Aron of Engage to Change and delivery partners Agoriad Cyf, who are supporting Aron in his job working for Anglesey Contract Cleaning (ACC). “It would be a big struggle for me to get a job without them.” Aron really enjoys his job, which he has held since his successful trial period last February and his official start in March. His work involves cleaning the offices of Cartrefi Cymunedol Gwynedd (CCG) in Porthmadog five days a week, and now an extra hour a week at their offices in Penrhyndeudraeth.

Engage to Change and Agoriad have supported Aron every step of the way on his journey to employment. When Aron first started his job at CCG, Agoriad supported him on a daily basis for the first few weeks to help him settle into a routine and complete his daily tasks to the employer and client’s satisfaction. Agoriad has also supported him in developing his timekeeping skills to ensure he starts work on time.

“I’ve only had positive feedback from the client, CCG, regarding Aron’s work,” says his employer Andrew. He adds that backing from the Engage to Change project “has made it a lot easier to take Aron on” as he would not have been able to offer him the initial support he needed without it, due to ACC’s location. Aron’s work continues to be of a high standard and he is now taking on more of a responsibility, monitoring his own cleaning stock and ordering more when necessary. Aron jokes that he’d love to work at Anglesey Contract Cleaning “until I get old and I struggle!” The role has enabled him to build his confidence, with Aron feeling that he’s had the opportunity to develop his communication skills from day one.

“Aron was very quiet when he first started and now that he’s got to know everyone he has come out of his shell a lot more,” says Andrew, with CCG’s office workers really valuing Aron as part of the team, or “the gang” as Andrew puts it. Transport has not been a problem for Aron either following his travel training. He takes buses to his weekly job at Penrhyndeudraeth, but the Porthmadog offices are close enough for him to walk.

Before he began working for Anglesey Contract Cleaners Aron attended college and volunteered for his local Oxfam shop in his free time. He now volunteers at his local British Red Cross shop.

Alongside volunteering, Aron enjoys biking as a hobby; “I can go for miles!” He also enjoys walking his dog in the mountains that surround Porthmadog and stretch through Snowdonia towards Blaenau Ffestiniog, as well as exploring the nearby seaside town of Criccieth and visiting the cinema.

“From my point of view, it’s been a positive experience taking on Aron,” says Andrew. Thanks to the support that has been available from Engage to Change to both himself as an employer, and to Aron as an employee, he is open to employing others with learning disabilities and autism in the future. Aron himself says that he would recommend anyone in his situation to approach Engage to Change – “They’ve been a big help.”