Cristine came to a GRoW Bootcamp at Minet Junior School in Hillingdon in October 2023. A mother to two young children she was interested in finding out how to start the journey back to work after a 5 year break and is now enrolled on a Teaching Assistant Course and Functional Skills, preparing for her future career.
Cristine said “I first got involved with GRoW at a Coffee Morning Bootcamp at my daughter’s school. I met Saeema, one of the GRoW Advisers, and she was so helpful, explaining different opportunities that were available to me. I learned about ways I could develop both personally and professionally though training courses and the online sessions GRoW offer as well as the live in-person sessions at their HQ at the Winning Box in Hayes.
The GRoW Bootcamp was a great experience. I have two children, a daughter in Year Four and a son in Year 1 and I didn’t feel that I had very many skills to offer an employer. Through the Bootcamp however, I learned that I have many skills and abilities and that all of the different things you do every day as a mum counts as transferrable skills that can be used in the workplace. This was a real confidence boost for me.
I moved to the UK from India 5 years ago and although I used to work as an Office Assistant previously, I have not worked since coming here and having my family. I did a Finance diploma in my home country but have not done any training in the UK. I did think about enrolling at college a while ago but I didn’t have the confidence to do it at the time. Joining GRoW has really helped me take that step forward and it is due to the support of the team, especially Saeema who has helped me a lot. She helped me see a way forward that would work for me and it has motivated me to strive towards a goal of becoming a Teaching Assistant which is something I have wanted to do for a long time.
I have now enrolled on the Functional Skills and also the Level 2 Teaching Assistant qualifications, and plan to do the Level 3 as well. I’m really excited to start and finally feel that I am on a journey towards reaching my goal.
Before joining GRoW I had looked at doing some courses but it never quite worked for me, whether it was just my confidence stopping me I’m not sure but I now feel very happy to be doing these courses through GRoW.
Sometimes when you are a just being a mum you can think you can’t do anything else beyond that but Saeema gave me the energy to go forward and that’s now what I am doing. I don’t know where my journey will go exactly but I’m taking the first steps and I have a goal in mind and that makes me happy.