An unemployed carpenter has been given a job after being featured in the Dorset Echo.

Dan Mutter was interviewed in the paper recently about unemployment in Weymouth and Portland.

After revealing he was out of work, the carpenter was contacted by a local employer and invited to a job interview.

After a successful meeting at Kitchen Craft on Weymouth’s Granby Industrial Estate, Dan was offered the job of trainee kitchen fitter and will be starting on Monday.

Dan, 21, of Knightsdale Road, Weymouth, revealed to the Echo in the original interview that he had just signed on to claim benefits after losing work in the construction trade.

He also revealed that he was a qualified carpenter but had not used those skills for a year and a half and was earning money in general construction work.

After the interview was published, Dan was contacted by the owner of Kitchen Craft, Brian Cookson, and invited for an interview. Dan said: “I didn’t think anything like this would happen after that story went in – I thought that would be pretty much it.

“But apparently Mr Cookson had seen the article and tracked me down using Facebook and offered me an interview.

“I had to do the interview and a skills test to show what I already know and was offered the job of trainee kitchen fitter at the end.”

He added: “I’m very happy and I’m very grateful for the opportunity to work again.”

Mr Cookson, who has run Kitchen Craft since 1990, said: “Funnily enough, we had been sitting around at work talking about our need for a new fitter with carpentry experience.

“Then on Saturday I read in the Echo about this young, qualified carpenter who was out of work and I thought to myself: ‘that simply won’t do’.”

Mr Cookson added: “On paper, Dan seemed like the ideal candidate for the job so one of my staff tracked him down using Facebook.

“We sent him a message asking him to get in touch and after the interview, we offered him the position.”