Lauren Crawford started the GRoW Programme in June and begins her new career in a Special Needs College in September.Lauren said “I really didn’t know what to expect when I attended my first GRoW session. I was a bit apprehensive but I needn’t have worried, it was great! It was really empowering and I made lots of new friends. By the second session my confidence had grown so much as I had learned new interview skills and the environment was so positive.
“I started applying for jobs straight away; jobs I probably never would have applied for in the past but I just felt ‘why not give it a go?’ In no time at all I was offered an interview for a great job as a Teaching Assistant at my local college working with people with additional needs and autism. Even though I hadn’t any direct experience of working with people with special needs I really felt that the experience I had gained in the past in caring roles had taught me a great deal about person-centred approaches and the interview skills I had picked up gave me the courage to go for it.
“It was while I was at a GRoW Programme event that Liz Sewell was running for mums and kids that I received the phone call I was waiting for. I was over the moon when I was told the news that I had got the job, in fact I was so overwhelmed I started crying! Liz was so excited as she knew how important it was for me. She’d been encouraging me all the way, even giving me advice on the outfit I wore to the interview.
“I was literally someone who suffered from anxiety and low confidence but the GRoW Programme has been such a positive experience for me. I will be receiving lots of training and a full induction programme when I start my new job in September and I can’t wait to start.