Man rejected three times for bin man job after unpaid internship
A man has been rejected by a council three times from becoming a bin man despite having completed an unpaid internship for nine months.
Bryan Rowe, 21, was invited for an interview for the job after it emerged Southampton City Council had already rejected him twice and they'd said an error so he should come back for an interview.
However, after Bryan went for his interview it wasn't third time lucky as he was rejected yet again, with the decision leaving him 'devastated'.
Bryan has ADHD and myotonic dystrophy which is a form of muscular dystrophy that causes progressive muscle degeneration, but between November 2024 and June 2025 he'd worked for the council as a lorry loader as part of an unpaid internship.
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'They’ve kicked him back in the teeth again'
During his months of work for the council, he'd been 'always enthusiastic and on time', but despite this his three attempts to become a bin man were all rejected.
It had been his dream job since he was two and he'd been encouraged to apply for roles with the council after his internship was over, while he was also excited to work due to his disability.
Speaking after his third rejection he said: "I don’t feel that I am good enough, no one wants me.
"It was good to be back at the depot, and I saw a few of the people I had worked with before, which was nice."
Bryan had said he 'would always say yes' if one of his team asked him whether he was enjoying his time working for the council and he doesn't 'want to sit around and do nothing'.
His mum Claire said that Bryan was 'devastated' by the three rejections and thought if the council didn't think her son was able to do the job then they should have 'let it drop'.
"I just cannot believe that this has happened again," the mum said.
"You were better off saying no and letting us be done with it, now they’ve kicked him back in the teeth again.
"I find that hard to take as his mother that has spent the weekend trying to explain to him that he is good enough, and that someone one day is going to want him. I just think it’s cruel and unfair.
"He wants to get out there as a disabled person and work and get some confidence some money of his own."
She's put in a formal complaint with the council over the 'kick in the teeth', and says her son is 'very downhearted' as he worries nobody wants to hire him.
His attempts to get a job as a bin man with other local authorities have also been rejected, and Claire said the family wanted him to work as well 'because there might be a time where his myotonic dystrophy will pop up and stop him'.
What has the council said?
A Southampton City Council spokesperson said they received a high volume of applications for the role, but could not comment on individual candidates.
They said: "All the applications and interviews have followed the council's recruitment process. We wish all of the unsuccessful candidates well in their future endeavours."
Joe Harker