Merthyr’s Christine named UK’s top employment advisor

Employment advisor Christine Morris has received the UK’s top Employability award, in recognition of her long and exceptional career supporting local people into work.

Christine, who works at Maximus’s Merthyr Tydfil office, recently celebrated her 30th year with Maximus (formerly Remploy) and was named ‘Frontline Advisor of the Year’ at the Employment Related Services Association (ERSA) Awards ceremony, held in London on November 28.

The award recognises employment advisors who have demonstrated exceptional commitment moving people into sustainable employment.

Starting her employment support career in Remploy factories, Christine began helping disabled people and those with health conditions to move towards employment in the early 1990s by helping them explore roles in the open labour market for the first time.

She has since supported the Merthyr Tydfil community through various employability programmes designed to help people with disabilities, health conditions and long-term unemployment over the years.

Since 2018 alone, she has supported 373 participants with significant barrier to employment into work through the Work and Health Programme, funded by the Department of Work and Pensions.

Over the years, Christine has built relationships with a vast range of local employers, generating a wealth of employment opportunities for members of the community. Her successes continued throughout the pandemic, during which she supported 25 customers into roles at regional Covid testing centres.

Christine’s wealth of experience underpins her belief that she can support every customer who walks through the door to find suitable employment, regardless of the barriers or challenges that the customer may be facing.

Receiving her award, Christine said,

“It’s been a privilege to work with people and get them into employment. Anyone can find themselves in a difficult situation, and I treat everyone I work with as if they were one of my own.