“When I started on my Kickstart placement, I wasn’t expecting the support I have received, it has been amazing!”
The last 18 months have been different for everyone. People have lost their jobs, had mental health challenges, and being stuck in all-round hard situations! There has been some good that has come from this time too.
My story began before the pandemic. For three years I worked in a retail job part time while caring for my daughter who wasn’t yet in school. I then had to take a job at another company working from home to allow me to continue to look after my daughter. When the pandemic hit it had a massive impact on me, I lost that job due to the closure of the company. After this the struggle to get another job struck, I couldn’t find a secure job or one that I was experienced enough for the role the companies wanted. I didn’t know where to look – I felt stuck!
This is when I found out about the government’s Kickstart scheme, giving the opportunity for young people to learn in the workplace and prove they can do anything they set out to do.
We are just normal people seeking experience and opportunities in our career paths, maybe some of us are just in the wrong place at the wrong time and that’s what lead us here.
When I started on my Kickstart placement, I wasn’t expecting the support I have received, it has been amazing! I have been with Better Connect on the Kickstart programme for around four months and already have learnt so much! The people I work with now are amazing and have been so supportive!
When a job came up within Better Connect, I had the confidence to apply. Writing this now I’m no longer a Kickstart employee but instead a full time one working as a Participant Experience Coordinator for the Action Towards Inclusion Programme!
I’m so grateful to the Kickstart programme for giving me this opportunity and for Better Connect for making it so amazing!
