Graduation to employment – Brandon’s story

Brandon had just graduated and didn’t know where to begin his job hunt – until he joined the Restart Scheme. During his initial appointment, Brandon met with Employment Adviser, Angela who delivers the Restart Scheme via Triage, and was able to work closely with him to create an action plan.

“Although Brandon had a law degree, his lack of experience at 23 made it challenging to receive a response from employers in this sector. We discussed future career goals and assessed what steps were needed to reach them. Brandon has a strong interest in employment law and was open to relocating eventually.” Said Angela.

“We updated his CV and tailored it to suit other job sectors of interest that would provide extended work experience in the meantime. After thoroughly going through different roles and sectors, Brandon chose to explore opportunities in warehousing, retail, and customer service.”

Brandon shared: “Restart gave me not only the confidence and the tools to work towards starting my first role post-university degree, but they also gave me the guidance that pushed me in the right direction. This allowed me to feel comfortable but also challenged in my job search, which fostered productivity. They provided me a foundation to build on that has been a perfect homebase to report back to and ensure I maintained the right path.”

Our teams of experienced Employment Advisers are always up to date with the latest job vacancies in the area, and our Recruitment Managers have strong working relationships with local employers.

Skills Trainer, Vicky was notified of an upcoming warehousing role and shared the details with Brandon. He was eager to apply for the job and spent his next appointment with Angela preparing his application.

Brandon was invited to an interview, and not long after he was offered the job!

Angela told us: “Brandon met with me again the following week, I congratulated him on securing the job and expressed how proud I am of him. I booked him onto a bitesize session called: First Days at Work, which provides essential information about his new employer, and outlines expectations for someone starting a new job. I then arranged travel funds to cover his first few weeks of work.”

The Restart Scheme doesn’t stop at helping people into work, they continue to support participants once they’ve started a job. In-work support is tailored to individual needs and can include help with travel costs, work clothing, and managing the transition into employment.

“The team were lovely and had incredible attention to detail, making sure that I was always fully supported in my search for employment. I can’t showcase my gratitude enough. Angela was always there to make sure I was comfortable, and I felt heard whenever I had questions or concerns.” Said Brandon.