Agency Office Worker

Penny Murray

Nominated by Tirebuck Career Solutions, Solihull 

Solihull project officer Penny Murray has been declared one of the UK’s top temporary workers.

Penny has won the highly commended prize in the Agency Office Worker category of the One in a Million Award, which is given to the UK’s top temporary worker.

Penny was nominated by recruitment agency Tirebuck Career Solutions of Knowle, Solihull for whom she has been working since January last year. Prior to that, she worked in the hotel industry for several years, but decided to take on a temporary role to gain more experience of other sectors.

Through Tirebuck, Penny is currently working as project support officer for the Schools Interoperability Framework Association (SIFA based in the USA) and is currently the only staff representative of SIFA UK.

The association is a non-profit membership organisation whose members comprise software suppliers, local authorities, government agencies and other international organisations working in the primary and secondary education markets.  Through SIFA, the organisations have created a set of rules and definitions that enable software programmes from different companies to share information.

Penny was originally employed in a senior administrative role but her job was expanded in recognition of her skills-set. To help her carry out the role, she even paid to go on a project management course.

Among her initiatives for SIFA have been the production of a quarterly newsletter, managing the content of the UK website and answering enquiries about membership.

Bonny Parkes of Tirebuck said: “Penny has developed such an understanding of the main issues concerning the application of transferable technology that she has been entrusted with the role of central co-ordinator for the development of SIFA UK.”

 Helen Reynolds, the REC’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer, said:  “Penny’s achievements clearly show how temporary work can open up new vistas for people with the right transferable skills and take them into workplaces they would not have previously considered.”