We all know the struggle of securing employment. From getting your CV just right to nailing the all-important interview, there are so many hurdles to jump over before securing the role you love – and for young people today, bagging that dream job seems even tougher.
In fact, according to recent figures from the House of Commons Library, over 2.9 million people aged 16-24 were out of work – up from 2.65 million last year. And in a post-pandemic world of social media, stress and anxiety, it’s no wonder that Gen Z are struggling when it comes to breaking into the world of work.
However, with the right help and support, many young people are beginning to find meaningful roles that work for them. Young people just like Patima, who recently secured a role she loves thanks to the help of Steps to Employment, Calico Enterprise and Burnley FC in the Community.
Patima’s journey to full-time employment
Like many people her age, Patima wanted to pursue roles in retail, customer service and administration. However, after ten months of unemployment, she began to lose her confidence and motivation.
When responses to applications dried up, she sought the help of Steps to Employment, where she was introduced to her Employment Coach, Chris – who works for The Calico Group. Following a few one-to-one sessions, Patima began to recognise her struggles with self-esteem and anxiety and started working on building her confidence.
As soon as Patima’s confidence began to shine, we started to work on her CV. Not only did we create profiles on job sites to increase her visibility with employers, but we also helped her craft tailored sector-specific versions of her CV for each application. We then began learning interview techniques and practicing mock interviews to build her self-esteem up even more for when interviews rolled in.
Soon after, Patima smashed an interview for an admin apprentice role at SafeNet (a local domestic abuse service), but sadly lost out to someone with more experience – a situation that’s happened to us all at one point or another on our journey to a new job.
When one door closes, another opens…
Patima’s positive interview experience helped her confidence blossom. That’s when a brand-new opportunity emerged from a totally different source.
Claire from Burnley FC in the Community shared an exciting opportunity with Chris. The Hatch Project were actively seeking individuals for a four-week paid work experience placement at KFC. Without hesitation, Chris promptly briefed Patima about the project and set-up a meeting between her and Claire to get the ball rolling.
During the meeting, Claire was impressed with Patima’s skills and enthusiasm. She swiftly organised a meeting with KFC about Patima and to our delight, KFC readily agreed. Patima was over the moon, expressing sheer joy at finally making strides in her career.
Remarkably, just a week into the work experience, Patima’s performance caught the attention of her manager. This swift acknowledgment speaks volumes about both her natural talents and the outstanding mentorship provided by her Employment Coach, Chris.
As the work experience placement came to a close, Patima received the thrilling news – she was being offered permanent employment with KFC!
Today, Patima is not only thriving in her permanent role at KFC; she’s enjoying every aspect of her job. Her triumph shows the incredible impact of Steps to Employment, showcasing her personal growth and the outstanding help of her Employment Coach in serving up a fulfilling career. Well done Patima!
If you need any help from us – whether that’s job hunting or CV writing – we’re here to help. Drop us an email on: skills@calico.org.uk
