A Renton woman who has been without a job for 27 years has eventually found work thanks to the efforts of the Alexandria Jobcentre and a Balloch hotel.

Mary Dorrian, 49, left school at the age of 15 to care for her parents - who both passed away before Mary was 21 - and then her brothers, who also both passed away before their 40th birthdays.

She then spent several years on the job hunt while trying to support her two sons - 28-year-old Robert and 12-year-old Sean-Paul, who still lives at home - but found securing work a challenge due to a lack of qualifications and experience.

In September last year, Mary began working with work coach Kirsteen at the Jobcentre, improving areas such as IT skills, confidence and building up her CV.

This earned her an eight-week voluntary placement working for Barnardo's, before she eventually secured a similar placement working as a housekeeper at the Queen of the Loch in Balloch, after which she was offered a job which she was able to fit around her childcare responsibilities.

Mary said: "I had to push myself to get out of the house again and be strong for my wee boy in the house. I struggled quite a lot because I've lost two brothers early on, but thought it's time to pick myself up and get my son out to school and go looking for work."

"I found it hard at the start but the rooms get easier as I got used to doing them and I mix well with the ladies, so just hoping to keep going forward and stay here."

Mary's manager at the Queen of the Loch, Danielle McCall, said: "Mary started off in on work experience and then we were looking to take someone on when our deputy head of housekeeping asked if we could keep her on after the placement had finished.

"When you haven't worked in that long, you're really keen and that came across, and showed that she was happy to learn and pick everything up. I think her background gave her a real drive for the job, you really want to prove yourself when you've been out of work for that long."

Eileen Downie, Employer & Partnership Manager for Argyll & Bute and West Dunbartonshire, said: “Our work coaches are dedicated to ensuring people have the training, the required certificates and skills to do the job. Mary’s story is testament to this, her work coach was active in securing a work placement for Mary, allowing her to experience first hand a busy working environment.

"Most people leave unemployment and find a job quickly, and we are here to help those newly unemployed and those who have been looking for a job for longer, to find work. It’s all about building confidence and motivation, these qualities alongside the right training go along way to improving a customers job prospects.”