Driven to success - Purdey’s story

When Purdey joined the Restart Scheme at 19, she had not worked in a paid role before and was unsure of what direction to take when starting her career. Despite this, she demonstrated remarkable initiative and determination from the beginning of her journey.

During Purdey’s initial appointment, she met with her Employment Adviser, Charriss, who identified the key employability skills she needed to prioritise. Together, they created a focused action plan to help her develop in these areas with finding paid employment as the end goal.

The Restart Scheme delivers bespoke training designed for young people with little or no work experience. Our courses include practical interview skills workshops, confidence building activities, and realistic mock interview sessions - all tailored to help participants develop the skills they need to take their first steps into work.

Purdey then attended in-house courses that helped her build the knowledge and confidence to approach the job market. After a CV workshop, Purdey worked with Charriss to create a gold standard CV that showcased the skills and qualities she could bring to any role.

Charriss shared: “Purdey attended my Jobs Club sessions regularly and applied for roles with real persistence, despite early setbacks. Seeing her commitment, I invited her to a CV drop-in session in an area with strong hospitality and retail opportunities, but again there were no responses. It was clear she had the drive; she just needed a way to build her experience and confidence.”

Purdey was enrolled onto a new Restart Scheme pilot, offering volunteering placements with local charities for those with limited work experience. She was quickly matched with a café team, volunteering one day a week to build her customer service and retail skills. Her confidence grew rapidly as she learnt to manage kitchen tasks, food prep, and till use.

Charriss told us: “Following this, I arranged another CV drop session, and the difference in Purdey’s approach was astounding. She felt empowered walking into cafés and shops to ask about vacancies, something she attributed to the support she received through the Restart Scheme and her volunteering experience.

“With an updated CV reflecting her new skills, Purdey began applying for roles again. Within just two weeks, she was invited to interview for a Store Colleague position at her local supermarket, and she got the job!

“Purdey was overjoyed, and rightly so. Her journey from uncertainty to employment in just eight months is a testament to her resilience and the tailored support from our team.”

Well done, Purdey!