So upset about dp prospects

[Desperatetime]

I don't know what I wish to achieve by posting here but I need it off my chest.
Dp came from another country several years ago and was granted work permission last year I helped him get work through an agency in a factory setting but it's only minimum wage and he has relatives back in his home country who are always looking towards him for financial help due to extremely low wages there.
Dp attended school in his home country but he left at age 14 to work and help his family who where quite poor.
Dp said there was no such thing as leaving school with grades etc and he was never able to release any potential.
What I've found is that dp is actually very clever and appears to pick things up very quickly and is very capable but we are stuck we can't afford training and he is working full-time so no time and I've helped apply for jobs but we are finding his cv is very tricky as hardly any work history here in the uk and no UK education.
He is never selected on any job application rejection after rejection and he is 46 now.
His current employer is so happy with him thinks he's great etc but it's minimum wage and he can't increase his income or learn new things. Please go easy on me I'm upset about this.

How much is he sending home?

Ditch the phone which enables the family to call, or him to call them. That will save you money on phone bills, and slow down sending money you can ill afford .

TBH,OP, it all sounds a bit dodgy. You met on line, he was living in a shared house, he is only allowed to stay in UK because he is your ‘carer ’, but you are able to work as a carer yourself. What does your son think about it all?

How much of your money is he sending to his family?

Nanny0gg
The males work but it's extremely low wages and most females don't work there.

A store manager will need good written English , it will be a core requirement due to the nature of the records required. The second job needs a driving licence. He doesn’t have one.

what you’ve done though is shown the opportunities he could have if he chose to progress in these areas. But being unable to drive and effectively functionally illiterate will count him out

It's all very dodgy and I do feel he has taken advantage of you. Sorry to say that. You seem vulnerable.

You can’t do this for him.

if he’s not even getting interviews for places like McDonalds then it would be worth getting some help with a C.V. or applications, surely the job centre offer something like this.

Well, what would his family do if he hadn't have come here?

Does every family in his country have someone working overseas subsidising them? I'm guessing not, so they're probably doing better than most.

With the cost of living going up phenomenally in the UK, many ex-pats here aren't going to be able to send as much money home as before, if they're still able to send anything.

Most employers do require certificates and grades and qualifications, and if you don't have them, then you will be looked over for all but the most menial jobs.

Remember there are many British people with degrees who can't find the right employer or job and have to make do for a while.

I really don't think getting him English and Maths GCSEs is going to alter anything for you. It's just the way it is, sadly.

Without sounding too harsh, his prospects were always going to be slim. Did he leave his own country to come somewhere safe? Or was it solely economic?

I do think his family asking for constant financial support is also causing him to feel unduly pressured, and also maybe a bit of shame and embarrassment that he can't provide.

The UK isn't the land of milk and honey that some people think it is.

How about door work, he'll need the recognised qualification but it can be done flexibly on top of other work, around Christmas venues will need extra security staff

Also McDonald's are franchises, it's worth trying different branches

If he isn't even getting any interviews - then either his application forms are dreadful or there is something he isn't telling you.

Unemployment rates are still low and job vacancies high by historic standards, especially in hospitality and social/care/health work
https://www.statista.com/statistics/283771/monthly-job-vacancies-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/

You say his written English is poor - he needs to improve that ASAP as if he is filling out job application forms badly, no wonder he isn't getting interviews. A lot of free courses online - BBC literacy and bitesize etc. He has been here 8 years? So he really has had time to work on this. You can also assist. Tonight, get him to write you a brief letter about what he has done this week.

Your expectations probably also need to be more realistic - he left school at 14. His English is still poor after some years here. He has no qualifications or seemingly much work experience beyond shoe making some years ago. It isn't going to be easy for him to earn much over the minimum wage currently.

The good news is he is in work and so will be building up a work history and references for future jobs, especially if his colleagues think well of him. He needs to work on his written English now and ideally also his functional maths so that employers can see he will be capable of understanding instructions, writing orders, filling in forms, or managing bills/money.
Currently no evidence of that beyond your view that he is clever.

Most employers do require certificates and grades and qualifications, and if you don't have them, then you will be locked over for all but the most menial jobs.

They don't unless you are applying for specific job you have professional certification for. Foreign schools work differently and even council and gov never asked me for papers when I worked for them. No one ever did in UK (except uni)

Has he tried timpsons then? They have policy of being responsible employers and giving second chances

he is coming off the phone with relatives having asked for help he doesn't force me or guilt trip me into sending money

He doesn’t need to does he?

If he really didn’t want to guilt trip you, you wouldn’t know about these requests.

Or there's still shoemaking in Northampton, not where you currently live but worth investigating

It sounds like he has taken advantage of you and thought the uk is the land of milk and honey. Unfortunately for him and you he has found it is not. Send him home to his grasping relatives.

I missed that he didn't have a driving licence. At least those are a lot cheaper than a degree!

My wider point was that they employ people without direct experience in those areas, he could email and see if there's work in a local branch where he could make a start.

And think about your son in all of this.

I think even they will need to see evidence of GCSEs etc. and even if not, I can't imagine a job with them will pay much more than minimum wage either.....

Yes!! This!

Surely your son must be concerned you're with this man, no?

I certainly would be, if it was my Mum!

Yes. He should be your first priority.

If he has the time (and he’s personable) I’d be encouraging him to go into places and request to speak to the managers/HR about if there are any available jobs. Even if they send him away with an email address to send a CV to, they’ll remember that he bothered to go in. He could name the person he spoke to on the cover letter, remind them he popped in to enquire for work, make it all more personal sounding.

Speak to anyone you know with connections, get the word out that he’s actively looking to work hard and progress in a job. Anyone you can think of who is a manager/knows a manager/ knows HR people/ is in a large progressive company. Anyone who can help him get a foot in the door. If his CV is weak he needs to think outside the box a little more. Make sure he writes an outstanding cover letter (even if one isn’t asked for) and tailor the letter to each company.

You could even get little business cards made up with his name, number, brief history of work, his strengths, what he’s looking for. Post it to places, stick it up on shop pinboards, on Facebook. It’s really very much a case of showing initiative and getting himself out there.

If his family have access to WiFi they can call via WhatsApp for free
Zero cost for each call

Secondly, if he works days, he could attend college at nights

If he needs to earn more money he could work 2 or 3 jobs in one day. I have worked a day job & a different job in the evening.

Has he looked for jobs in hotels or catering ?

Has he looked at jobs at your local hospital ?

A person who worked as a diplomat should not seek financial support.

You say he is working in a factory ? Has he thought about fork lift training ?
My husband retrained as a fork lift driver - some courses you pay for yourself but others can paid for by employers.a
You get an average £11+ an hour depending where you are in the country. Mainly short term contract agency 12 weeks probation with possible permanent afterwards.