At school, Dan enjoyed studying History and improving his English analysis skills. His interest in archery started at home, and he shared it at school during lunch, helping develop a lasting archery programme. Dan’s practical nature led him to study motor vehicles in college and work at a repair shop.
Like many others, the pandemic interrupted his career path, making it hard to find work in the mechanics field. He explored a variety of jobs and, with Claire’s assistance through Warwickshire Supported Employment Service (WSES), completed work experience here. Adam Morris, our production manager, said:
“I was very impressed with Dan’s attitude and willingness to learn, and working here. When a position became available, I contacted WSES, hoping Dan would join us. Since then, he has obtained a full-time position, and it has been great having him on the team. I would describe him as polite, kind, and considerate, and we’re fortunate to have him with us. We do our best to support him, teaming up with WSES, although he doesn’t need to be as reliant on them anymore, and having our own Mental Health and Wellbeing coach be there for additional support.”
Dan mentioned, “I’ve always wanted to work here since hearing people at school talk about their work experience here. I knew it was a good place because jobs rarely come up – people stay, so I did feel quite lucky when Holly rang me for a job interview.”
Dan describes working here as having “a huge positive impact in my life. I can support and help out my family, and look forward to travelling in the future. Working here has also helped my confidence grow. I talk to new people more now, and the team is always supportive. Now I wake up with something to look forward to.”
Since joining the fabrication team, Dan has developed a wide range of new workshop skills, such as operating the routing machine, reading measurements, choosing the correct tooling, and working with plates of different sizes. What was once unfamiliar is now second nature, with much of his workflow becoming muscle memory. Dan noted that working here has also improved his maths skills, particularly when using the riveter, which is used to permanently attach the traffic sign panel to a mounting post or a stiffening frame. He explained how the number of channels depends on the size of the sign, and how he uses his maths skills to measure the rads.
Dan is always keen to help others, and has enjoyed teaching our young interns to operate the machine. Dan said, “teaching others how to use the machine made me realise how far I’ve come” since he first started working here in March 2025.
