“I’m three weeks-in and love it. I work with lots of other people my age so it’s fun, but I also feel useful and like I’m contributing at home,” concludes Mia, who lives with her mum and brother. “Christmas will certainly be much cheerier now I have a job.”

For 19 year-old Mia Beresford from Garston, facing a job interview with a major supermarket chain was a daunting prospect. With just one day to go, Mia’s first appointment with an Ingeus employment coach was perfect timing.

Mia found herself searching for full-time work after closely missing the required A-level grades for her university course. With various part-time work experience under her belt the determined teen set about applying for roles but struggled to make progress as she juggled her efforts with lockdown complications.

Mia’s Work Coach, Sarah Brannon at Garston Jobcentre Plus recommended the new WHP Job Entry Targeted Support (JETS) Programme, which provides one-to-one employability support geared at getting people back to work quickly during the pandemic. Ingeus delivers WHP JETS in the north west and Mia was contacted by employment coach Joanne Carter the day before her interview at Tesco Extra in Toxteth.

“I was worried about how I’d handle my interview so having someone on hand to give me some practical tips was great,” said Mia. “Joanne knew a lot about working in retail and customer service, so we went through some example interview questions and answers. We also talked about what questions I might ask at the interview which really made me think. It was a great tip and made me much more confident on the day. The interviewer even commented that I’d asked her a great question!”

Mia was successful and now works as a full-time customer service assistant in the fresh food department of the store. Joanne has also been on hand to ensure Mia’s start date and induction went smoothly.

“I’m three weeks-in and love it. I work with lots of other people my age so it’s fun, but I also feel useful and like I’m contributing at home,” concludes Mia, who lives with her mum and brother. “Christmas will certainly be much cheerier now I have a job.”

Mia is undecided whether to take up a deferred university place to study a different course next year and for now is thankful to be gaining valuable employability experience, while also helping her mum pay the household bills. 

WHP JETS is a separate strand of the Work and Health Programme (WHP) and is commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions, with support from the European Social Fund. Ingeus supports the delivery of JETS in the North West, Greater London, Greater Manchester, the North East, and Central areas.