I was assigned my two tutors - John and Maria. I was a little nervous but soon deemed such a feeling as fruitless. They both welcomed me with prodigal arms and I felt safe within my learning quarters.

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Bianca Joined the BBO Strive Project in August 2021.

Bianca’s mentor remembers;

‘In my first meeting with Bianca, it was sad to hear that she left school with no qualifications due to a traumatic incident in 2014.

I contacted Charlotte Adams from the Step2Skills team to enrol Bianca onto the English & Maths course.

Bianca started both courses in September 2021. She worked very hard and built a good rapport with both Step2Skills teachers, Maria & John. On the 30^th May 2022, I was delighted to receive a text from Bianca to tell me she has passed both her English & Maths Functional Skills Level 2 Courses.’

Bianca was delighted to finally be able to say she has achieved an English & Maths qualification.

“The flatly unimpressed wince drawn from the words of possible GCSE qualifications was irretrievably linked to my self-doubt. Sarah believed that I could attain both English and Maths within the puny space of a year. Although I was fraught with Insecurity, hope put forth an unmatched counterargument.

Firstly, I was assigned my two tutors - John and Maria. I was a little nervous but soon deemed such a feeling as fruitless. They both welcomed me with prodigal arms and I felt safe within my learning quarters."

In recognition of her achievements, Bianca received the runner up award for the "Star Achiever" category at the Step2Skills achievement awards this year.

Bianca

Functional Skills English and maths learner, 2021

I have been taking part in a traineeship for Stevenage FC Foundation for a month now in the Sustainability subsection. I have learned a ton about this field through the time I’ve spent here.

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William is just one of the participants who are currently being supported on the Inclusive Employment project, made possibly by part-funding from the European Social Fund.

 

William's Employment Advisor, Jonathan was able to help him secure a traineeship in Sustainability at Stevenage Football Club Foundation.

In William’s words;

“I have been taking part in a traineeship for Stevenage FC Foundation for a month now in the Sustainability subsection. I have learned a ton about this field through the time I’ve spent here, and I’ve worked on the sustainability of Stevenage FCF. It was a very good change and I’ve been very open to learning how to make the club sustainable and budgeting for all of the potential solutions. As well as this, I’ve found meeting the rest of the office very easy and I was made to feel part of the office right from the off, and I got to know everyone by the end of the week. Working here has been phenomenal and I wouldn’t switch it out for anything else.”

William

Inclusive Employment participant, 2022

'Thanks to the hard work of my Employment Advisor Jonathan, I was offered an excellent opportunity of a work trial within the Legal Services department at Hertfordshire County Council. The opportunity was offered by Michael, Head of Legal Operations.'

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Michael and the team in Legal Services at Hertfordshire County Council recently gave a work experience opportunity to Step2Skills participant, Jack.

Work tasters are a valuable part in the process of helping people with a barrier into paid work; giving the participant an experience of something they think they might like to do, helping us to see how they get on and for the participant to gain feedback from an employer.

Jack's CV listed financial, audit, and research skills and qualifications and it was for this reason that Michael felt he could benefit from a work taster within Legal Services.

In Michael's words; 'The biggest lesson I have learned from this experience is, we can do lots of work to assist in preparing candidates for the workplace. However, the real work is preparing the employer in how to spot the hidden talent. A work taster offers a candidate the opportunity to show a potential employer their skill set as opposed to simply narrating it. A little additional time spent up front saves time and money in the future, not to mention employing candidates who are qualified, enthusiastic and committed/dedicated.

This is exactly where Step2Skills come in, educating employers, and walking them through the journey. The key is time. You get far more back than you put in so investing time up front is essential. I would say that Step2Skills is not a recommendation but a necessity. Interviewing skills need to be more diverse and more time spent on preparing a suitable setting that can be adapted for different individuals.' 

Jack

Employment Support participant, 2023