Lakshmi Lands a Job at Boots

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Lakshmi first came to GRoW in October 2021 looking for support to find a job.  Lakshmi had a long gap in her work history having stopped work in 2014 when she got married but with the support of GRoW she has now found a job at Boots The Chemist where she has a full time position as a Retail Operation Assistant.

Lakshmi said “I used to work in accountancy when I was in my home country of India but when I got married, like many women in my culture, I gave the job up to focus on my family.  This was one of my main worries when I wanted to get a job here in the UK as I was aware that having an 8-year gap on my CV could be a problem. I was also concerned that my English speaking was not good enough and it really affected my confidence.

When I came to GRoW I had no idea of what sort of job I wanted to do or even what job I could do. I had studied at degree level in India but I didn’t have any formal qualifications in the UK and so my GRoW adviser encouraged me to take part in their training programmes so I could build up my skills and also learn more about the type of work I might want to do.

I took part in so many fantastic events with GRoW including their Preparing to Work in Schools Programme, the weekly Coffee Morning and the GRoW Picnics which are amazing.  Each picnic I attended I met more and more people and gained new friends and opportunities each time. Speaking to other people and practicing my English speaking is so useful for me and GRoW have offered so many opportunities to do that.

Improving my English is really important to me and was one of my main priorities when I joined GRoW.  Even though I can speak the language I don’t speak it fluently and I felt it was holding me back.  GRoW helped me by putting me through a Level 3 ESOL Training Course which took 3 months to complete and was so useful.  I also completed a Level 1 and Level 2 Safeguarding Course and a Data Protection Course too.

One of the most useful practical lessons I received was from Sonia who runs the CV, Job Searching and Interview Workshops.  Sonia was amazing, giving me so much information to help me develop my CV and most importantly my confidence through the Interview Workshops.  She also spent lots of time advising me on which Job Search Websites I should go on and how I should apply for a job.

Doing the GRoW Programme helped me really think about the type of job I wanted to do and I decided that the Retail sector was best for me.  Working in Boots is a great opportunity for me as I get to use my English speaking in a way that is more comfortable for me and I feel I am doing a good job.  GRoW has really helped me improve my confidence and I am so happy now to be working again and doing something I enjoy.

Rehana sets her sights on school jobs

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Rehana was referred to GRoW from her local Jobcentre after losing her job when her mini-cab employer closed down.  With a young child and no support network she is keen to find work in a school so she can work during term time.

Rehana said “Before I had my job as a Receptionist at a cab firm I used to do voluntary work, helping people from Afghanistan to adjust to life in the UK, and helping them with English language and making food for them. I also used to do training to help people from the UK who were going out to Afghanistan to volunteer, helping them to understand the Afghan culture to support them in their work.  I really enjoyed helping people and realise this is a skill of mine.

When I lost my job I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do next but when my Jobcentre referred me to GRoW, and I met the team, I started to think about working in a school.  It offers the right type of hours for me as I have a 5 year old son but I don’t have any local support networks and so working in term time and being able to drop him off and pick him up myself is really important to me.

The GRoW Team have offered me lots of help. Sonia and Khatera in particular have helped me so much, inviting me to events such as the Coffee Morning and the CV Workshop. Sonia has worked with me on a new CV which I have to say is really wonderful.  It makes me feel so much more confident now that when I apply for a job that I will get noticed.  She has also invited me to do a mock interview which will help me understand about body language and help me understand the types of questions I am likely to be asked at an interview.  I am actively looking for volunteering opportunities in schools now to help me build my work experience in that area, in fact I spoke with my son’s school this morning and they have asked me to send them some information so I am hopeful this is something I will be able to start quite soon.

Being part of the GRoW programme has been a huge help to me and I want to take part in all of the different events and activities they offer.  It has been so interesting learning about new things and meeting new people too. I feel very happy talking about what I want to achieve for the future and it has really helped improve my confidence knowing that I have people behind me supporting me every step of the way”.

Faheema finds new confidence

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Faheema moved to the UK from India in October 2021 and came to GRoW to help her understand how to get a job after a gap of 10 years to raise her children.

Faheema said: “Since joining the GRoW Programme in July I have gained so much knowledge and confidence.  I had no idea how to start looking for a job in the UK and was really shy too.  I needed some help to point me in the right direction and show me the way.  In India, I worked in IT and then as a teacher but I have not worked in over 10 years and was not sure of what skills I might need to start work here.

GRoW have been so helpful for me.  I have taken advantage of all of their workshops so I could learn how to get ready for work.  At the Job Searching Workshop I have learned all about the different job sites I can access to find jobs and apply for them.  At Sonia’s CV Workshop she has worked with me to look at ways I can fill the employment gap and I am now doing an online IT course which will help me upskill and reach my goal of working back in the IT sector again.

I also went to the Preparing to Work in Schools Programme which was really interesting as it helped me understand the different things I could do to help me improve my skills and get noticed by an employer.  One of the most useful sessions for me was the Interview Workshop as it taught me a lot about the right phrases and words to use when responding to questions and also it taught me a lot about body language and how to make a good impression.  I am also doing the Mindful Parenting course at the moment which is really useful, not just in how to support me to parent in a more mindful way but to teach me new skills that help me as a mother and woman too.

I am really clear now about what work I want to do and how I am going to reach my goal.  I am currently looking for admin jobs and I have learned how to write cover letters to go with my job applications so they are tailored to the jobs I am interested in.  I am doing my IT course and I feel that once I have a job in admin I will be able to get some work experience under my belt and then start looking for jobs in IT.

GRoW has really helped set me on a path to where I want to be and that in itself is a huge achievement which has really given me a lot of confidence in myself.”

Rekha Looks for Retail Work

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Rekha was interested in finding out how to get work experience as she had not had a job before. Initially she was lacking in confidence, especially in speaking to people as English is not her first language. She has engaged fully with the GRoW Programme activities which has boosted her confidence and she has been actively looking for work in the retail sector.

Rekha said “I heard about GRoW some time ago but wasn’t sure if it was really for me until one of my friends who had been through the programme recommended it to me.  I spoke with Kaneez and she signed me up and it has been such a wonderful experience for me.

I found it really hard to speak to people in English as I really lacked confidence and was very shy but since joining GRoW that has all changed.  The people at GRoW have been so helpful, they really know how to bring everyone together so we get support from each other. I started off going slowly but now I understand English so much better and my speaking has improved so much. It does take time to learn a new language and being able to practice it with people makes so much difference.

I have gained so much from all of the GRoW events I have attended.  I have done the CV and Interview Workshops with Sonia and I really couldn’t believe how many skills and achievements I actually have and have now been able to put on my new CV.  I have never worked before and have no experience apart from some social work I did in my own country as a volunteer.  Doing the CV Workshop was really valuable for me as I really wouldn’t have known what to put on my CV without Sonia’s help – my CV is now really good and I am sending out to potential employers when I look for jobs.

When I did the Interview Workshop I asked Sonia if I could record it as I thought it would help me to practice afterwards. I thought it would be good to be able to see myself from the other person’s point of view, to see what I needed to work on and improve. It was the first interview I ever had and I was so nervous when we did it.  I thought, if I’m this nervous with someone I know, what will I be like with a stranger?  Having it recorded really worked well for me though as I now feel so much more confident than before.

I also attended the GRoW Picnics and the Preparing to Work in Schools sessions and I always go to the GRoW Coffee Mornings too as you learn new things all the time.

Most recently I have enrolled on the GRoW Mindful Parenting Course that started this week.  It was so interesting!  I have an 11 year old son who has just started secondary school and I have been thinking a lot about how I need to change and adapt the way I speak to him now that he is growing older.  The Mindful Parenting Course has given me a lot of tips about how to be calm and listen in a different way. It was a real eye opener and I am really looking forward to the lessons in the coming weeks.

Another GRoW event I attended which was really useful to me was the Childcare Information Session which helped me understand how important good childcare is and the difference it can make to your life when you can learn to believe and trust someone else to look after your child.

I have done the Job Searching Workshop which was really good and I have been searching mostly for retail positions such as Customer Assistant roles. I think this is the best sort of job for me at the moment.

Doing all the events and getting involved with everything GRoW has to offer has been a fantastic experience for me.  Everyone on the team is so energetic and upbeat and it just makes you want to be a part of it.  Some sessions I attend just because I think there might be something I learn which will be of help to me in the future or maybe I can share my own knowledge and help someone else!”

Indiana fulfils her dream

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Indiana came to the UK in 2017 and joined the GRoW Programme at the end of 2021. Her first language is Romanian and she was looking for support to improve her English and gain voluntary experience to help build her confidence. Indiana’s goal was to work for the NHS.  She attended all the GRoW workshops which helped improve her confidence and she felt motivated to push forward with studying and volunteering.

After Indiana had completed the Workshops with GRoW she completed an ESOL course to improve her English and an NHS Career Level 1 Employability Course and then started volunteering in Hillingdon Hospital. She then completed the following courses: Volunteer Learning Course, NHS CAREer Clinic Level 1 Certificate in Personal Development for Employability at HCUC,  Introduction to Understanding the Role and Expected Behaviours of a Health Care Support Worker, Adult Basic Life Support Level 1, Equality and Diversity, Conflict Resolution, Customer Care, Safeguarding Children Level 1, Essentials of Patient Safety, Dementia Awareness, Corporate and Local Induction, End of Life Care, Personal Risk Assessment and Sustainability Awareness.

Whilst volunteering at Hillingdon Hospital Indiana progressed in her training courses which led her to be in paid employment in the hospital as a Patient Access Administrator.

She has achieved her goal of working for the NHS and has built up her confidence in her admin role at the hospital and also in her confidence in English. She now works full-time for the NHS and is looking to undertake more learning as she progresses in her job.

Speaking of her experience Indiana said; “Attending GRoW’s CV and Interview Workshops helped build my confidence and doing the training courses with the NHS meant that the department I was volunteering for saw the potential in my work effort and offered me bank shift work. When I applied for an admin job I was successful and I now work as Patient Access Administrator in a 9-5 role.

My life is so different from last year, everything has happened so quickly I didn’t think I would be employed this quickly through the NHS, but I am so happy with my progression and the effort I have put in to get me where I am now. I thank GRoW for helping with the difference in my life now.

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. Through the learning and work I have done I have learned that confidentiality is the key to building trust. Dignity is one of the most important things to the human spirit. It means being valued and respected for what you are, what you believe in, and how you live your life. Treating other people with dignity means treating them the way we’d like to be treated ourselves.”

 

 

Evie starts a job as a Nursery Assistant

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Evie had worked for 23 years as an Environmental Health Inspector in Hong Kong but had not had a full time job since moving to the UK in December 2020. She had been tentatively looking for work but wasn’t proficient in accessing job sites and wasn’t sure how best to approach the job search process. She came to GRoW in May 2022 after seeing an advert that we can help mums get back to work.

Evie said “I saw an advert for GRoW in my daughter’s school newsletter and thought I would give it a try and see if it could help me.  I had been kind of looking for work but I had no clue really, I had no direction or idea of how to approach it.  I had been doing some part time work, just 1.5 hours a day as an SMSA in my daughter’s school but I really needed to work more hours.

Even though I had a good job in Hong Kong where I was a health inspector, my qualifications and certificate is not recognised here and I would need to do a 3 year course if I wanted to return to that field of work.  I also fancied a change and wanted to explore more opportunities to work with children which is what I really enjoy.

When I joined GRoW I did the GRoW Bootcamp and the Coffee Morning and then went on to do the CV Writing and Interview Workshops.  All of the Workshops helped me get to know the culture here in the UK in job searching and to also understand the qualities and skills that employers are looking for in the different jobs they offer. Things can be very different in different countries and it was such an insightful experience to learn about these things and to learn how to use the Job Sites.  The Bootcamp was all about setting your mind to new things and new ways and it was especially interesting to learn about transferrable skills. It was knowing that I have these transferrable skills from my previous work that gave me courage to look for jobs.

GRoW produce a newsletter every week which contains a number of local jobs that you can apply for and it was really useful to see all the different sorts of jobs that are out there. I looked at all the jobs and picked up key words that I could look up on Indeed to narrow down the jobs that were of interest to me.

Getting a CV was so important for me.  I have never written a CV before and I have never needed one as I only had to fill in a form to get my previous job and then I stayed in the same job for 23 years.  The idea of writing a CV was horrifying and I didn’t know what I needed to include or how to go about it.  Working with Sonia on the CV Workshop was amazing as she helped me put my CV together and picked out what was important.  She also gave me lots of advice to help me keep going, advising me to send out applications regularly and also to make sure I really make a lot of effort at the start of Summer if I want to get a job in a school in September as that is when the Education sector tend to recruit. I have been sending out job applications every day now since the start of Summer and I thought that was really good advice.

The Interview Practice was really good for me as it helped me to organise the way I present myself.  English is not my first language and I tend to speak in a very complicated way which can make it very difficult for me to communicate effectively.  Also there are a lot of technical terms in my previous job and I find it difficult to try to explain this.  Sonia helped to summarise it so that I could communicate it better when I have an interview which has made me feel much more confident.

Because I was already working in a school as an SMSA I did the Preparing to Work in Schools course as I wanted to see if I could go for a Teaching Assistant or School Administrator Job.  I learned through the course that I need to do some training if I want to be a TA but I also reconsidered whether that is really what I want to do.  I applied for a full-time Nursery Assistant job instead and was offered the position which starts on 1st August. It was funny when I went to the interview as they said I would need to do a Food and Hygiene Course but with my old job as a Health Inspector I feel quite qualified in this area already!

Even though I am now starting work my GRoW Adviser Kaneez has still offered to help me further and has offered me the opportunity to do an ESOL Course to improve my English language and also a Safeguarding course which I look forward to doing. Being part of GRoW has really helped me a lot. They continually urge you to keep going which helps to motivate you and keep on.  It is quite tiring to keep searching for jobs and sometimes hard to motivate yourself, especially when you get no response from an application; it can be quite draining and frustrating.   GRoW are always there though to push me and drive me forward.”

Ebony GRoWs for a better future

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Ebony joined the GRoW Programme after being given a leaflet from her Jobcentre that explained that GRoW helps mums get back to work. She had been out of work for 5 years to raise her youngest son and was looking at rejoining the workforce. Ebony has engaged with everything GRoW has offered her and is always looking to learn and do more.

Ebony said “I knew I needed to get back to work but I wasn’t sure where to start and how to approach it.  When I joined GRoW I did the GRoW Your Own Business Sessions which was so inspiring.  I had been thinking of setting up my own business making or white labelling and selling candles and when I went on GYOB it helped me learn about all the things I would need to do if I was to be self employed.  Mostly I learned how important it is to make realistic plans and set small goals to give yourself time to achieve each thing before moving on to the next.  It made me realise that I had a lot of thinking to do, in particular with regard to finances, before taking the plunge to do it. It hasn’t put me off though, far from it! Instead I am thinking about it realistically and plan to do re-do GYOB when I am in a better position to move forward with it.

As well as GYOB I did the GRoW Bootcamp which was absolutely fantastic because it helped to build my confidence which was something I was really struggling with – in fact I still do, but nowhere near as much.

I did the CV and Interview Workshops which really helped me to understand the skills I have and what jobs I can do. I started applying for jobs as soon as my CV was ready and I have been overwhelmed by the number of interviews I have been getting.  I have attended interviews for all different types of jobs. I had an interview at the Airport, as well as a Kitchen Porter job at a restaurant, at a Travelodge and also for an admin assistant job. All were really interesting and I have been offered jobs following the interviews but unfortunately the hours don’t suit my family commitments. It hasn’t been a waste of time though as I have gained a lot of practical interview experience and a new found confidence which has come from being better prepared and better informed.

I am now doing a Level 3 ABM Teaching Assistant Course that grow introduced me to as I want to improve my chances of getting a job in a school.  School jobs would be really well suited to me because I can work term time only which is better for my family.  The training course takes 9 months to complete and I have to do some volunteering in a school setting as part of the training.  I love doing the course and am finding it so enjoyable.  I have already made an application to a school to do the volunteering and am just waiting to hear back from them.

Being part of GRoW I have come to learn that everything is possible and I don’t need everything right now.  It allowed me to put things in perspective and to just breathe… Mostly it has made me feel like everything is going to be OK and that as long as I take one step at a time and put one foot in front of the other, that I will get there!

The main things I feel I have gained from being part of GRoW is confidence and security.  I have learned that it is not the end of the world if something doesn’t happen within your exact timeframes and I now feel very positive about the future as I just feel everything is going to be OK.  The GRoW team members are so upbeat and supportive and they really make a difference to how you feel.  For example, they post motivational and inspirational messages on their app which help you change your mood and perspective, particularly if you’re having a bad day.  If you’re feeling low it really raises your spirits to read something so uplifting.  At their events they are so motivated and their attitude is contagious, you can’t help but feel more upbeat and motivated yourself.  They always seem to be doing the right thing at the right time too, almost as if they are in sync with how you are feeling and thinking.  It’s things like this that make so much difference and really spur you on to move forward.”

Maimoona builds confidence through learning

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Maimoona joined GRoW in February 2022 when she was thinking about returning to work after a 15 year career break to raise her family. She has been an active and engaged participant on the programme and now feels ready to get back to work.

Maimoona said; “I had heard a lot about GRoW over the years as they are very active at my child’s school where they have been enrolling mums onto their GRoW Programme to help support them into work. I didn’t really think their programme would be for me as I had assumed they could only help people who had good work experience and a particular level of skills and qualifications but after a conversation with GRoW Adviser Kaneez I found out I couldn’t be more wrong.

When I joined I was so impressed with Liz and her team, especially Mercedes who I thought was amazing on the first day I did GRoW Bootcamp.  The programme gave me so much confidence and it was just so relaxed and enjoyable, I felt really comfortable to talk to the the other ladies on the programme in the same way I would talk to other ladies I meet through school or in the community.

I had worked in a store 15 years ago but stopped work when I had my children. Being out of work for such a long period of time was quite a concern for me and I wasn’t sure of how to even get back to work – did I need to do training or go for higher education?  The GRoW team really helped me understand what I should do and they showed me the way and where to go.  I attended the Preparing to Work in Schools course and the online GRoW Coffee Mornings. I also went to a face to face Coffee Morning that was celebrating International Women’s Day and it was lovely to meet everyone in person and I just thought “Wow! This is really good!”.  Since then I have really increased my interest in getting back to work and I have attended the GRoW Childcare Sessions, CV and Interview Workshops. The One to One Interview session with Sonia was fantastic and really improved my confidence.

For many years now I have been at home, looking after my family and hadn’t had an actual interview in 14 years! Doing the One to One Interview session really opened my eyes up and made me feel I have abilities and can go forward with new goals. Being asked about my ideas and having the chance to to say what I think about things, what my views are and how to present myself – this was really wonderful as it has made me see who I am and what I have to offer.

I have three children, two who are teenagers and my youngest is six years old so it is much easier for me to be working now. I believe in taking small steps and building up slowly so I’m thinking more about part-time work at the moment although I wouldn’t rule out full-time work if I am offered it.  I always liked the idea of working in a school and I did an introduction to Teaching Course at Harrow College around 9 or 10 years ago but I am also interested in an admin or clerical position. GRoW offered me the chance to do a Level 2 Food and Hygiene Course recently and so I have completed that and am thinking about working in catering now too.  The course taught me so many things and was so worthwhile for me.  Although I already knew some of what it covered there were many new things I learned which has made me feel so much more confident and able should I apply for a job in a kitchen or a similar position.

GRoW has really helped me with my confidence and motivation as it has shown me what I am capable of and what my abilities are.  I now have a very clear idea of what I need to do to get a job and I am really looking forward to going out in the world and starting work.  GRoW has so many resources available, whether from the Advisers giving their knowledge and advice during the events they run, or on the GRoW app which is a great place to find information.  If you take part in the events you can jot information down while the Advisers talk but they also add all the resources such as presentations and articles to the app so you can always check there for anything you need. It makes it so much quicker to access. They also tailor information to you depending on what you want, for example, if you want to be a carer or you want to work in a school, they let you know what sort of training you should be doing to help you reach your goal.

After meeting the other ladies on the programme I realised that so many of us feel the same way. When you are out of work and haven’t worked in a long time you can feel so confused about getting back to work and it makes you feel hesitant about taking the first steps.  GRoW help with everything, even helping you to understand how you should speak in a professional environment.  These are the types of things you worry about if you haven’t done it in a long time but they explain all of this to you so you feel more prepared.

GRow has opened up a community to me, I can share ideas and get ideas from them, it all feels very natural and relaxed.  I have explored many jobs now and listed the ones I want to go for.  I am ready now to really commit to giving time to applying for jobs every day and make it my goal.”

Reshma rebuilds her confidence

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Reshma came to the UK with her family from India in late 2021 and with a long gap in her employment was concerned about how she would rebuild her career. She joined Belina GRoW and has been fully engaged with activities. She has rebuilt her confidence and is now following her dreams.

Reshma said “I had tried to get back to work in India when my son started full time school but when the pandemic hit I had to abandon my hopes.  My family and I then moved to the UK and before I knew it I had been out of work since 2012.  As I had been a teacher in India I was looking for jobs that would suit my qualifications but after applying for some vacancies I was finding the interviews really difficult and just wasn’t getting anywhere.  I was concerned about how long I had been out of work for and was feeling like I was unemployable. I needed a new start and I needed a boost and fortunately GRoW came along just at the right time.

The GRoW Team were promoting their work at my son’s school about helping mums get back to work and I was immediately interested.  By this time I was desperate to start work again now that my son was in Year 3. I was interested in part-time or full-time work, preferably in a school but I was open to working in other sectors too.

I contacted GRoW and was introduced to Sonia so that we could do a review of my CV and so she could help me practice my interview techniques.  The CV Sonia did with me was absolutely amazing, it was such an improvement on the CV I had previously and it really helped me feel more confident.  At the one to one interview workshop I had so many questions to ask Sonia. I just didn’t know how best to represent myself but she was fantastic, answering all my questions and the by the end of the interview I felt so much better. I now feel really prepared if I get offered an interview and so much more confident.

Tosin was assigned to me as my personal Adviser and she discussed my options with me and encouraged me to attended all the different the GRoW events such as the Job Searching Workshops and the Coffee Mornings and each and every one of them was wonderfully useful.  I have applied for more jobs since my CV was updated, one of them is for a job at Brunel University as an Admissions Officer and they asked me to write 3600 words as part of the application. I wasn’t sure how to do it but Sonia and Tosin helped me, reviewing what I had written and correcting it in places so that it read much better. They also helped tailor a cover letter to go with the application and they have done the same with three other jobs I have applied for in retail at Matalan, WHSmith and Primark. Because of the CV Workshop I attended I learned how to tailor my CV to the job I am applying for so I did this myself when I applied for the retail jobs.

I am really keen to undertake more learning and Tosin and Kaneez are currently looking for a suitable Teaching Assistant course for me to attend at college. I am also going to be doing an Information, Advice and Guidance Course that GRoW offered me and I have found some free courses in basic maths and IT that I want to do too.

I would recommend anyone to go on the GRoW Programme as it has changed my world. After attending GRoW I feel I am now following my dreams.

Zainab prepares to return to work in schools

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Zainab joined the GRoW project in Newham following a four week workshop focused on helping mums get back to work and presenting the many opportunities jobs in Schools can provide for working mums. Zainab has fully engaged with the GRoW Workshops and activities and is looking for volunteering opportunities in a school when her daughter starts Nursery in September.

Zainab said “I have a Batchelor of Commerce which I attained in my home country of India but when I moved to the UK in October 2015 I began a Level 2 Teaching Assistant course as I was keen to get a job in a school.  I had previously worked in a Nursery in India teaching children all aspects of the school curriculum and also did home tutoring to children of all ages and so I knew this was something I wanted to return to when the time was right for me.

In 2016 whilst studying for my Teaching Assistant course I was expecting my first child but I did manage to do some voluntary work in a school and then at an After School Club where I was teaching maths and different subjects to the children who attended. Within a year I was expecting my second child and so had two children under two which made it quite difficult for me to continue with my voluntary work and so I have been a stay at home mum for the past 5 years.

When I heard through my daughter’s Nursery that GRoW were running a 4-week workshop to help mums in Newham prepare to work in schools I was immediately attracted to it as my daughter is due to start school in September and I had been thinking about working again. Another mum from school went along with me to the first Workshop at Sheringham Childrens Centre and we both found it real informative and enjoyable. During one of the workshops Sonia from GRoW did a group CV session which made me realise that even though I already had quite a good CV from when I finished my T Level course that I could really benefit from updating it.  Ameisha from the GRoW Team did a one to one CV session with me to make it more attractive and it was just fantastic.

Being part of the Preparing to Work in Schools Programme was brilliant and it really helped me.  Just being around the other women who attended was a really good experience as I got to hear about all their different backgrounds, the type of work they had done previously and why they wanted to work in schools too.  Everyone had a different experience but we could all see the clear benefits of working in a school when you are bringing up children at the same time as it offers the flexibility that is important when you have a family.

One of the best things about the programme was that they gave us different ideas and tips. For example, they told us that how to present ourselves during an interview – how you should walk with your shoulders straight and to make eye contact.  Another really positive outcome from the Programme is that I was given the opportunity to do either a Food Hygiene or a Safeguarding Course for free.  I am going to opt for the Safeguarding course as I think this will benefit me more when working with children in a school.  I am aiming to do the course in August and am really looking forward to it.

I am really very happy and truly appreciative of the opportunities GRoW have offered me and I am going to be taking part in many of their Successful Summer activities that they have scheduled in July and August.  I am going to do as many as possible and then I will look to see whether there are any opportunities for volunteering work in a local school and keep my eye out for job vacancies at the same time!”