Employability Day 2025: Confidence, Growth, and a First Job to Remember

We’re celebrating Employability Day 2025 by shining a light on our Recycling Operative, Rhys. Rhys has recently completed a Warehousing Apprenticeship at ELITE Paper Solutions.  

The apprenticeship programme is delivered in partnership with Cambrian Training, and is designed to support disabled people by offering tailored training, one-to-one support, and meaningful work experience that leads to long-term employment.

For Rhys, this apprenticeship marked his first paid job – a huge milestone that so many of us can relate to. With the support of his peers and mentors at EPS, Rhys has grown both personally and professionally.

“The job has helped me get out of the house as I didn’t leave much before, so it’s helped my confidence, experience, improve my skills and gain new skills, make new friends, and speak to new people. I sometimes struggled to talk to new people-it has helped me come out of my shell.
My peers make me feel happy and if I need some support, they are always there. They have supported me to speak to new people, and gain experience in different areas of the warehouse. It has helped me to develop my social skills inside and outside work.”

Through his apprenticeship, Rhys has gained valuable qualifications and practical skills in areas such as manual handling, health & safety, timekeeping, communication, and social interaction. More importantly, he has developed a belief in his own potential. Rhys shared that he feels more confident in himself.

“I can achieve more, and do more in terms of developing my experience and gaining more qualifications.”

ELITE Paper Solutions is the first stage of our participants and volunteers’ journey to training, volunteering and sustained paid employment. We’re extremely proud of our fully inclusive workplace – which supports approximately 80 people per week through a range of range of employment, training and volunteering opportunities. Rhys’s story is just one reminder of the impact that inclusive employment programmes can have.