Mentoring helps young woman find work in a local school

A 20 year old woman from Hyndburn has found a job that she loves in a local school and a new-found confidence, following support from a Lancashire employment programme.

Beth had been studying at University, but left her degree course, realizing the course delivery was not suitable for her. This further affected her confidence, with Beth unsure what career path to follow, nor how to progress within a career without work experience.

She received support from Onward, a delivery partner of the Lancashire-wide employment service MPT Steps. A mentor from Onward ran one-to-one coaching sessions with Beth in a venue where she felt comfortable, which led to her gaining work experience within their 1st Call customer service centre.

Beth started volunteering for one day a week on a busy reception and picked up a lot of skills very quickly, becoming a great asset to the team.

Her mentor Jill helped Beth identify that she would still like to work in a school setting, and helped her to access a 3 week long Classroom Assistant course.

While on the course, Beth applied for a vacancy at White Ash Brook School in Oswaldtwistle and was invited to an interview. Beth was nervous, but with interview skills coaching from her mentor and advice from her course tutor she entered the interview feeling fully prepared and more confident than ever before.

As a result of the support and her own determination, Beth got the job and says that she “loves it.”

Beth's mentor, Jill Narayan from Onward, said, "It has been wonderful to witness Beth's progress into full time employment, where she grown in confidence and is happy in work. Beth was always willing to take on board and act on any advice offered to her, and her hard work was soon rewarded by securing this role.

"When I recently met with her, her positivity and enthusiasm was clear to see, and she hopes, in the future, to further her career within education, by studying for a teaching degree whilst working at the school. The 1st Call team miss her volunteering and wish her every success in the future. I feel confident Beth will have an exciting career ahead of her.”