A TEENAGER who criticised a senior judge for condemning his generation as “workshy” has escaped the dole queue and landed his dream job.

Nineteen-year-old Bob Jewers was stung into action by the comments of Judge Constance Briscoe who said, on BBC’s Question Time, that young people did not want to work.

The young photographer, who has 11 GSCEs and three AS-levels, had to leave his photographic course at Cleveland College of Art and Design after cuts to the Education Maintenance Allowance left him unable to afford the bus fare from his Darlington home.

During his 11 months on the dole he applied for more than 400 jobs but only got a few responses and no job offers.

But after reading about his plight in The Northern Echo, photographer Rhett St James has offered him a job as an apprentice.

Mr Jewers said: “I can’t sum it up in words, it is beyond belief and brilliant that someone at last has given me the chance.

“It is such a relief for me and hopefully I will never have to go to the job centre again.

“I felt that the situation I was in was never going to end.

It now feels great, as I spent almost a year frustrated. It is surreal that I have now landed work in my dream job of photography just because I wasn’t prepared to be put down by a judge.

“There is a lesson to be learned here for all of us – never give up. The day you do, that is the day nothing will happen.

“I really hope this gives other unemployed people hope and I would also urge employers to give them a chance.”

Mr St James, who has just opened Prints Charming studio in Clarks Yard, Darlington, and Hall Street Studio, in Barnard Castle, is bucking the economic trend and has been on the lookout for good staff.

He said: “The timing was spot on. When I heard about Bob’s plight, he sounded just like the sort of person I was looking for.

“I love photography and am looking forward to sharing my passion for the career with someone as enthusiastic as Bob. I was really impressed with his portfolio and am so pleased we got the chance to snap him up before anyone else did.”