Despite the recession, Mr Clifford has found his first paying job in three years and his employer Kelvin Trevathan has taken the significant step of engaging his first full-time employee.
Both of them say it is thanks to the government's new $152 million youth employment package.
‘‘It's great to get off a benefit and be doing something during the day,'' Mr Clifford said.
Last week, the government announced its multi-faceted scheme to get young people into employment and, six days later, Mr Clifford became the first person in Dunedin the scheme helped get a job.
‘‘On the Wednesday he started five days of work experience, but by the Friday I offered him a job,'' Mr Trevathan said.
Mr Trevathan, who has been self-employed for four and a-half years, said employing someone was a big step for his fledgling business, KJT Painting and Decorating Ltd.
It was Mr Clifford's positive attitude and the availability of a $5000 Job Ops subsidy that persuaded Mr Trevathan.
Job Ops provides a $5000 wage subsidy for six months' employment for up to 4000 young people nationwide.
‘‘I've employed other people part-time but the subsidy made a huge difference,'' Mr Trevathan said.
‘‘Getting $3000 up front pays for Brendan's wages for the first month while I'm training him. It was the incentive I needed.''
For Mr Clifford, the job is a new start after three years of unemployment and skills training benefits.
‘‘It's excellent. I'm learning heaps,'' he said.
Mr Clifford was on a Ministry of Youth Development funded Malcam Charitable Trust pre-employment course when the option to learn painting and decorating came along, Trust youth programmes manager Fiona Gill said.
‘‘Brendan is highly motivated. He has turned his life around in the time he has been with us,'' Ms Gill said.
‘‘If he is working well and still interested at the end of the six months, he might even get an apprenticeship.''
Malcam Trust founder Malcolm Cameron said he was still seeking information about all of the aspects of the government's youth employment package, but welcomed the early assistance it had provided to Mr Clifford.
‘‘On that basis you would have to say it's really good,'' Mr Cameron said.
‘‘I'm always encouraged by anything that helps young people get into work.''
