Preparation for success – Roman’s story

Roman’s previous job of five years in the warehouse industry came to an end as the work dried up and his hours continued to reduce. He was referred to the Restart Scheme by his Work Coach at Jobcentre Plus, for further support in finding work that was sustainable for him.

Our team of experienced Employment Advisers are on hand to support participants, help them to develop their job skills, improve wellbeing and find a suitable job that works for them.

During his initial appointment with Employment Adviser, Jamie, Roman expressed interest towards the in-house courses on offer whilst Jamie covered all the opportunities of support that were available.

“After a year of searching for jobs, I felt I was sending hundreds of applications and not hearing anything. When I first met with Jamie, he reassured me that he would help me to break down my barriers to finding work. I liked the approach that he took, by professionally assessing me and my circumstances. He introduced me to many different services including the in-house skills trainer who really helped me to build my confidence and prepare for employment.

“My first language is Polish, so I found the ‘English for Work’ workshops very useful, as it helped me to expand my vocabulary and learn more about the workplace.”

Our in-house course sessions provide a learning environment that brings like-minded participants together to develop and tailor their skills to improve on areas for employability. ESOL sessions are not only for those who want to improve their English speaking, but to improve their overall understanding of the language, that positively impacts their CVs, job applications, and contracts.

“As I continued my journey, Jamie supported me financially and helped me to buy interview clothing and update my passport which proved to be key to my success in securing a job. Once I felt ready to interview, Jamie and I held mock interviews, where he gave me hints and tips of how to conduct myself. As I was unaware of the process of an interview this proved to be a game changer.”

After preparing with mock interviews, Roman was successful at his real interview in person and offered the job just a few days later in the cleaning sector.

“If it wasn’t for the Restart Scheme, and Jamie’s ongoing support, I don’t feel I would have secured a job on my own. I’d like to thank all the Restart Scheme for the comprehensive, unbiased support that Jamie and the team provided me. I am forever grateful, and without their support and job preparation, I certainly wouldn’t have found a job so quickly!”