New beginning – Farida’s story

When Farida fled Afghanistan, she was in the final year of her medical training at university. All her documents were destroyed in the war, leaving her with an uncertainty about her future career.

Farida was referred to the Restart Scheme by Jobcentre Plus and during her initial appointment, she met with Employment Adviser, Sheree who got to know Farida on a more personal level.

Sheree told us: “It was clear that Farida had a variety of skills and experience which I knew would benefit her when looking for work. Farida was working with Suffolk Refugee Support and attending an ESOL course with Realise Futures, prior to joining the Restart Scheme. She was extremely proactive in applying for work, with a goal of eventually completing her medical degree in the UK.”

Farida completed courses in stress management, confidence building and health & wellbeing, which were all provided at her local Restart Scheme office. Farida really benefitted from these and was able to build her confidence and manage stress more effectively. Sheree met with Farida on a weekly basis, to catch up on job application feedback and provide further support on upcoming vacancies and interview preparation.

Farida was invited for multiple interviews, all of which helped boost her confidence, and she received more than one job offer!

Sheree shared: “Farida is really enjoying her role at a local bakery and has since moved into her own home, which gives her space to focus on resuming her studies alongside her new job.”

We visited Farida at work, and she told us how happy she was and that it was going well. Farida told us: “Yesterday I got my first salary and I’m so thankful for that, and for Sheree and the team at Restart Scheme. Thank you all so much for helping me to get a great job!”