Category: Case Studies

Margarett Ortiz-Chois

Name Margarett Ortiz-Chois
Company London Youth
Last Known Job Role Volunteer

Tell me a little about your background and why it was challenging for you to move into work?

My family was evicted from our flat and I ended up in a hostel. I was with a lot of people who were doing anything to make money on the streets. It was tempting to get involved, after all it’s hard when your socio-economic background is not strong. Being involved in crime is a risk that unfortunately youth have been pushed to face to meet their needs. There are many layers to it.

It’s not easy as a young person fending for yourself. It’s like once you had your necessities at your disposal (or maybe you didn’t), having to go food bank, job centre, therapy(and many more services) without letting it knock your confidence/light is very hard.

I knew I could go one of two ways: join them and let my circumstance rule me or try to build a proper career. I chose the latter; I would suffer short term to reap long term success. It was difficult but I knew if I started making money in ways that I shouldn’t, it would be difficult to get out of that. Easy come, easy Go.

So, I got myself into university because at least I had some ‘A’ Levels. Many of those I am with didn’t have any qualifications. Education and support is the fundamental need!  However, in my first year I had a mental breakdown and due to lack of the above, I was forced to drop out. The same thing happened to me again when I started another course, so I was still a long way from getting meaningful work in line with my aspirations.

What was it that made you want to change your home life and build a good career for yourself?

I decided that I didn’t want to become a product of my environment. But I had to put that into action.

TalentMatch visited my hostel, it’s an organisation that helps young people aged 18-24 who need extra support to help them along the path to sustainable employment. They signposted me, through an event, to London Youth, a charity and Movement to Work partner, that helps young people improve their lives, supporting youth with opportunities and experiences they would never have unless through them.

I also joined my hostel’s youth panel. This meant that I did some volunteering: setting up events, relaying residents’ needs and co-ordinating projects, for example, outreach within the community. I also spoke to young people in the hostel about how they could work with London Youth or other services to also get back on track. Hardships from being young and alone sets people back but also places you at an advantage ironically.

Movement to Work also asked me to speak about my journey at its social-mobility awards in February. 

What are you doing now?

I’m going back to university in September to study sociology and anthropology, but alongside that I’m going to do a part-time course to become a learning and behavioural specialist.

What advice would you give to young people from challenging backgrounds who want to move into work?

Have the determination to find services that will help you. If you’re over 18 they are more difficult to find now but be single-minded about getting help to get you on a career ladder. If you’ve made money on the streets it’s even more difficult to move on but if you have the determination the right thing for yourself you will get there.

I would never have found the volunteering opportunities that have helped me so much but for my relentless determination pushing myself. First and foremost, make sure you’re ok physically, mentally and spiritually. Cliché but true, look  after and love yourself!

Aaron Leigh

Name Aaron Leigh
Company QA
Location  Hornchurch
Last Known Job Role Working at Computer Talk

Aaron, 19, from Hornchurch, was disappointed with his GCSE results. They meant that he was unable to enter an IT career as quickly as he wanted to. “Sitting in a classroom with 25 other children while a teacher talked at us didn’t work for me. I like to work things out for myself,” said Aaron.

Nevertheless, he managed to find himself a digital media and graphic design course at a college. However, he left after three months. “It was just like being at school,” he said. “It was important to have confidence and I knew that I would succeed despite my lack of GCSEs so I kept looking for options.”

Aaron found himself a traineeship scheme run by QA, the training company. It helped people like him improve on their qualifications, especially maths and English, and gain real-world work experience as well as some basic IT qualifications. It also taught those taking part about how to conduct themselves professionally, dress appropriately and how to handle interviews.

“School gives you none of that,” said Aaron. “And it’s so important, yet there are no GCSEs in any of those subjects! I knew that if I used my personality and acted in an approachable manner, it would be a big step in realising my ambitions.”

As a result of the scheme, Aaron was accepted into an apprenticeship scheme with the Institute of Management and Control that would have required a number of GCSEs. After he finished this he joined Computer Talk, where Aaron now plays a key part in managing IT for the company’s school customers.

“My learning hasn’t stopped after the apprenticeship, I do on-the-job training, which really suits me, and I’m studying for the G-Suite Google exams and other technical qualifications.”

Aaron’s ambition is to get involved in cyber-security and his ambition means that he’s disappointed not to have done that so far, but he is still just 19 and he knows there is a skills gap there waiting to be filled.

His advice to anyone who feels their GCSEs are a setback is “Consider traineeship schemes and above all, be approachable!”.

Nikita Hindhaugh

Name Nikita Hindhaugh
Company Civil Service
Location Ashington
Last Known Job Role Executive Officer at Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)

Nikita Hindhaugh is an apprentice at Ashington Jobcentre. She started her Civil Service journey in a placement as part of Movement to Work.

Nikita said: “Before my placement, I was long-term unemployed. I was a carer and I was socially isolated. I had low self-esteem, low self-worth and no confidence at all. I wanted to find work but I struggled to stay motivated. Because of my isolation, I found it difficult to communicate with people in person. Now I’ve spoken at Civil Service Live.

My work coach had spoken to me about the Civil Service as a career before, but it all sounded too complicated and I felt like I wasn’t qualified. Then one day, I was offered and accepted a work experience opportunity at the jobcentre. It was a very real experience – it wasn’t watered down and I wasn’t wrapped in cotton wool or anything. It was just real… And challenging. The service that I was providing to the customers made me feel like I was making a real difference. It was transformational and empowering!

I had a really good, nurturing mentor, and the team all made me feel included. They gave me feedback and encouragement and it helped me to appreciate talents that I had overlooked. Feeling included and appreciated was a massive confidence boost. I’m still an introvert, but since I have joined the Civil Service I have never felt limited by it.

I have recently taken over line management of the Movement to Work placements, because I want to give them what I had when I did my placement.

My Movement to Work placement opened my eyes to the possibilities of the Civil Service as a career and negated my self-doubts. It was the first big step in making me the person that I am today and I’m so grateful to have been given the opportunity.”

Lee Mallia

Name Lee Mallia
Company NHS
Last Known Job Role Clinical Support Worker

Lee Mallia, from Leeds, wants to be a physiotherapist and initially thought his lack of GCSEs and muscular dystrophy would hold him back. One of his friends worked for the NHS and told him that apprenticeships were available. This appealed to Lee because qualifications weren’t needed by the NHS for an entry level apprenticeship.

Lee worked as a clinical support worker, helping look after patients. He tended to their general needs, helped them move around and regularly turned the patients at risk of developing pressure sores. He carried out clinical observations too, such as patients’ temperature and blood pressure, checking cannulations and blood sugar checks before mealtimes for patients who are diabetic.

Lee said: “If patients asked for help moving around, I encouraged them to be independent and to do it themselves first. I think being disabled myself helps us both. The best bit of the job was getting to know the patients on the ward as individuals. Depending on where you work, you look after quite a few elderly patients who often have a lot of stories to tell. I know I made a difference just by listening and getting to know them. The biggest challenge was not getting too attached to the patients. Obviously not everybody gets to go home from the ward so that can be tough, but it’s part of the job and a hospital counselling service is available if things got too much. I’ve worked on the ward a year now and still find it difficult losing someone, especially if I’ve got to know them. But I’m told it gets easier over time.”

Lee’s ambition is to become a physiotherapist. His apprenticeship qualification and experience of working with people in clinical support has helped him get a physiotherapy assistant job and put him on the path to his dream of becoming a physiotherapist.

Lee said: “An apprenticeship in health is definitely worth the experience. If you have qualifications already but need experience, it’s a way to do that and, if you don’t have any, it’s a way to get some. An apprenticeship is ideal for people like me.”

Michelle Taylor

Name Michelle Taylor
Company Accenture
Location
Last Known Job Role  Accenture Apprentice

“I always thought working for a company like Accenture you’d need a degree and years and years of experience, but the Movement to Work scheme gives people like me an amazing opportunity – a different route into the company, along with the resources and support you need to build up your skills on the job.”

Michelle Taylor was just 10 when she left mainstream education. Having never had the opportunity to gain qualifications, and going on to have four children at a young age, Michelle never thought she’d be able to work especially not for such a big company.

This was all to change at the age of 22, when Michelle’s partner’s mother suffered from a stroke. Michelle was provided with no option but to proactively seek out employment opportunities, in order to ensure the right level of support for her family.

Michelle has always held a strong interest in technology, and reached out to the East London Business Alliance (ELBA), a charity that connects businesses to the community in East London. ELBA recommended that she apply for Accenture’s Movement to Work Go Tech programme linked directly to technology apprenticeship opportunities at Accenture.  Movement to Work is a voluntary collaboration of UK employers committed to tackling youth unemployment.

During her time on Accenture’s Movement to Work Go Tech programme, Michelle completed technology and employability training with training provider QA and spent three weeks on work experience at Accenture’s London office where she learnt a range of skills including technology, collaboration and presentation skills.  Alongside this, Michelle learnt how to construct a CV and prepare for interviews, giving her the self-assurance to apply for an apprenticeship. Following the Movement to Work training Michelle applied for an apprentice at Accenture itself, and was successful in securing a place.

Michelle commented on her experiences with Movement to Work and Accenture: “I thought my lack of qualifications and experience would mean that I’d never, ever, get a job. But I realised I had lots of skills from being a mum – like organisation, timekeeping, prioritisation – which were transferrable to work. The Movement to Work programme gave me the confidence to fill in my CV with my personal experiences and capabilities, and taught me how to talk about them positively in interviews.

“Without Movement to Work, I wouldn’t have known enough to apply for apprenticeships, as I had never set foot in a workplace. It has given me the necessary skills to enter the world of work. I assumed that to work for Accenture you’d need a degree and years and years of experience, but the Apprenticeship scheme gives people like me an amazing opportunity and I will gain a degree as part of my apprenticeship.  It’s a different route into the company, along with the resources and support you need to build up your skills on the job.

“Working with Accenture is brilliant. The company is so supportive, I feel that you can just be yourself here, whatever your background. There are also so many ways to advance your career here in Accenture, and I never knew an apprenticeship could do so much for me. I really feel that nothing can hold me back now.”

Michelle is currently in her second year of a four-year apprenticeship with Accenture.  Over the next two years of the apprenticeship she will gain a technology degree in IT, helping her to progress her career. So far, Michelle has gained experience in Java programming, databases and web development as well as gaining an understanding of project management. Michelle is looking forward to completing her apprenticeship and continuing her career with Accenture.

Peter Scanlon

Name Peter Scalon
Company Marriott International

Peter experienced difficulties at home, which led to periods of homelessness. He left school at 16 with few qualifications.

Thanks to the Prince’s Trust ‘Get into Hospitality’ programme and Movement to Work, Peter discovered his love of working with people through a placement and training at Marriott International.

His mentor, Claire Fisher, an HR manager at Marriott and Movement to Work monitor, said that Marriott was impressed with his confidence and the way he presented himself, especially as he was the youngest in the team in which he was working. Peter went on to succeed not only on his hospitality programme but he improved on his school qualifications too.

He was given the opportunity to work in two hotels and was pleased he had the opportunity to compare how each one worked.

Peter has now completed the training programme and is pursuing a full-time role with Marriott.

Nicola Staff

Name Nicola Staff
Company Marriott International
Location London
Last Known Job Role  Pastry Kitchen Team member at The JW Marriott Grosvenor House

“Before Movement to Work, I couldn’t think about the next day, but everyone at The Prince’s Trust and Marriott Hotels were so supportive, and now I am planning my future.”

Nicola was bullied at school and had a difficult upbringing with her parents at home. While studying, she suffered from a breakdown and, because she was so unhappy, she dropped out of her Hospitality Management course, left home and ended up living in a tent for three months. Three years later, at the age of 21, Nicola was diagnosed with lymphoma. She recovered, but suffered another breakdown. “That’s when I was diagnosed with OCD, social phobia, low self-esteem and confidence issues. I needed medication and intense psychotherapy.” Nicola said.

Nicola eventually turned to The Prince’s Trust’s ‘Get Into’ programme – part of Movement to Work –which aims to build the confidence and motivation of disadvantaged young people. Nicola was offered a work placement at the five-star Grosvenor House JW Marriott Hotel in Mayfair, London, where she gained experience in a number of different departments. After overcoming some initial nerves, she enjoyed the role and asked to extend her placement when it came to an end. Nicola now works full-time in the Pastry Kitchen at The JW Marriott Grosvenor House and has ambitions of travelling to France to train as a pastry chef before continuing her career in the hospitality sector.

“Before Movement to Work, I couldn’t think about the next day, but everyone at The Prince’s Trust and Marriott Hotels were so supportive, and now I am planning my future.” Nicola said.

Nicola was awarded the HomeSense Young Achiever Award at The Prince’s Trust and TK Maxx ‘Celebrate Success’ Awards, aimed at recognising the achievements of young people who have overcome disadvantages with the support of The Prince’s Trust.

Ryannie Scallion

Name Ryannie Scallion
Company British Gas
Location Edinburgh
Last Known Job Role Customer Service Apprentice

Before joining British Gas, Ryannie was at school and volunteered at a school for children with disabilities. She had always thought about staying on in education but wasn’t sure what her options were.

“If I’m honest, I was going to go to university to be a Physiotherapist, but the more I thought about it, the more I knew that university wasn’t really for me. Even though I had no idea what it was like being an Apprentice in a contact centre, it’s been one of the best things I’ve done, as I can earn money whilst studying. I also feel like I have a career.”

Ryannie said, “I really am a people person and learning about helping customers every day and some of the responses from them are what the job is about, it makes you feel good about yourself knowing you can help others”.

“I applied for the Apprenticeship because I think it is exciting to be a part of something completely different from what I thought I wanted to do. Now I’ve been here for four months it’s definitely the opportunity for me as I can develop and help customers. I can also make a career in customer service.”

Ryannie’s team are one of the top performing teams in Edinburgh and are making a key difference to British Gas by improving customer satisfaction scores alongside increased productivity, therefore helping more British Gas customers in a shorter time period. The team managers have put this is down to the quality, structure and investment of the Apprenticeship scheme.

We recognise Apprenticeships as key to Centrica building the capabilities we need to win as a services company now and in the future. We are working with the UK governments to support a consistent benchmark of excellence in Apprenticeships, and are proud to be a leading service employer in this field.

Emmett Canning

Name Emmett Canning
Company Righton
Location Glasgow

My confidence has not only improved, but I’ve learnt skills on the job, allowing me to contribute to the company as much if not more than people who have had traditional training. I’ve also seen a big impact in my personal life in the way I organise myself and see through my objectives.

After a series of temporary jobs and needing to care for his father, Emmet faced long-term unemployment. Having decided to make a change in his life and pursue a career, Emmet found out about Righton’s Movement to Work scheme through Street League UK, Righton’s training partner provider. Following an initial assessment, Emmet began his placement at Righton’s Glasgow warehouse site and over the course of a three-week placement developed the skills necessary to progress within the company, from general warehousing to parts identification and quality assurance procedures. Since completing his Movement to Work placement, Emmet has begun a full-time role at the Righton Glasgow warehouse site and is moving from strength to strength in his new career.

“I’m very pleased to be here. Where I come from in Glasgow there are very few opportunities and it takes me over an hour to commute to work. Despite this I enjoy coming in every day. My confidence has not only improved, but I’ve learnt skills on the job, allowing me to contribute to the company as much if not more than people who have had traditional training. I’ve also seen a big impact in my personal life in the way I organise myself and see through my objectives.” In addition to what he learnt during his Movement to Work placement, Emmet is working towards gaining formal vocational qualifications through his new job at Righton which will provide recognition of the skills and expertise he has developed in his new career.

Ben Fox

Name Ben Fox
Company Civil Service
Last Known Job Role  Digital Customer Support Adviser

To be honest, I’ve had disappointing experiences of work in the past which knocked my self- esteem and confidence. This placement turned the tables and has been a game-changer, reinvigorating my professional life, and also my personal life too.

On my first day in my Movement to Work placement I was very nervous and honestly didn’t know what to expect. It was totally outside my comfort zone. I needn’t have worried. Everybody was friendly from the start and there was a really good vibe in the office. I was told I brought a fresh perspective; I am relatively young and my work background is probably a bit different from some of my HMRC colleagues.

Before I started, I wouldn’t have described myself as a computer or technical type of person. That’s one of the unexpected things about the placement, it opened my eyes to job roles I might not have considered pursuing otherwise.  I’ve since gained many IT skills and feel more competent using them. I’ve increased my knowledge of tax too.

Getting to grips with the various processes around the office was a bit challenging but I soon picked them up. I was assigned to one of the teams and helped with administrative tasks. Even though I wasn’t taking on as much as my more experienced colleagues, I felt like I was contributing.

I went into the placement with a positive can-do attitude and that must have come across because my new colleagues suggested I apply for my present job, Digital Customer Support Adviser.

To be honest, I’ve had disappointing experiences of work in the past which knocked my self- esteem and confidence. This placement turned the tables and has been a game-changer, reinvigorating my professional life, and also my personal life too.

It’s no exaggeration to say I owe where I am today to that placement, and to those who helped me onto it. I couldn’t be happier with where I am at this moment in time.