Marlon earned bus driving qualifications through the HCT Group Learning Centre. He’s now thriving as a London red bus driver based at our Ash Grove depot. ‘I’m 47 now so it’s been a long time since I’ve been in a learning environment, but I was focussed on what I had to achieve,’ explains Marlon. ‘Doing the driving test was fine as I had put in the work, but the build up to the exam was hard. It was my anxiety beforehand that was unsettling.’

Marlon had been unemployed for two years before signing up with the Learning Centre. ‘Being 45 and unable to provide is hard. It’s a backward step,’ said Marlon. ‘I’ve got two girls and although I was able to spend lots of time with them when I wasn’t working, I couldn’t do everything for them. It was a financial strain.’ Marlon was inspired during his training by instructor Frederick Thomas, one of HCT Group’s longest-serving employees.‘You know when you have someone in your family that you look up to and you listen to them and they guide you in a certain way? That was Fred. He made me feel comfortable and he’s very good at what he does.’

After successfully gaining his bus driving licence, Marlon found work at HCT Group as a London red bus driver. He has been with HCT Group for a year now. ‘The people here are good to me. You go to certain workplaces and personalities clash, but here everyone makes an effort to help you move along. Even drivers I don’t know are supportive and help. ‘I feel useful now. I’m happy because I’m focussed and can provide a lot more for my children.’

‘We’re really proud of what Marlon has achieved,’ said Frederick Thomas, Senior Tutor at the Learning Centre. ‘For us, it’s not just the qualification – it’s about supporting our learners to make a change to their lives. Gaining full-time employment is a huge accomplishment and they have said it provides stability and purpose.’