Get work in one week!
A couple of months ago twenty-year-old Charlie Hawkins had nowhere to live and no job. Now, an exciting initiative from Learning & Skills is helping him, and others, to turn their lives around and get work in as little as one week!
Working together with local employers including Arriva, Aldi, Blackwell Grange, and several care homes, Learning & Skills has developed a series of one-week, bespoke employment courses offering guaranteed interviews upon completion. The 'employment academy' courses, which aim to equip people with the basic skills required for a career in care, customer services, hospitality or warehousing, are helping to build people's confidence and give them the skills they need to be successful at interview.
The courses have been running since 2022 and in this time have supported over 220 people, directly securing gainful employment for 182 individuals, including Charlie who enrolled on a course following a chance encounter with staff from Learning & Skills.
Charlie said: "I was unemployed and going through a tough time. I became homeless and moved to Darlington to live with my grandma which was not ideal. Together we went to Darlington Jobs Fair where I met Tammy and Heather from Learning & Skills. They signposted me to an employment academy course with Blackwell Grange Hotel.
"I haven’t got any formal qualifications, don’t like being in big groups and have really low confidence. Until recently I couldn’t go anywhere without someone with me. Staff on the course were really supportive. They met me on the first day, before the other learners arrived, and helped me to settle into the classroom. They went through my timetable and what we would be doing each day, quietly checking in on me throughout the course.
"During the course we covered basic skills including customer service, food and beverage service and health and safety. The confidence and interview techniques session helped me to understand that I needed to be vocal in my interview and even how to sit properly and how to talk about myself in a positive way. Because the course was taught in the workplace, I got the chance to see first-hand what a career in hospitality would be like and what Blackwell Grange expects of their employees. I also got to meet existing staff and the recruiting manager which helped me to feel more confident at interview.
"The course helped me to enter the interview with a positive mindset and I was really happy to be offered a job as a commis chef. I now work four shifts a week and am saving up for my own set of knives and to live independently. I have been told that when I complete my probation period, I will be going to Ireland to train at the parent hotel and I am looking into starting a professional cooking qualification.
"Learning & Skills and Blackwell Grange have changed my life and given me a future."
Mark Tulett, General Manager, Blackwell Grange, said: "We are delighted to have been able to work with Learning & Skills to support people into employment who may otherwise have been unable to secure a position with us. We have been impressed by the standard of teaching and the high quality of the learners on the course who came with the right dedication to succeed within this industry. Charlie is a great member of staff who knew from the start the expectations of the role he has been hired for and we look forward to supporting his progression within the hotel industry.
Cllr Chris McEwan, cabinet member for economy, "Charlie's story is incredibly inspiring and is testament to what can be achieved through effective partnership working. We are focused on ensuring that everyone has the opportunity for a good job, home and social connections and initiatives like this help to address inequalities and ensure Darlington remains a great place to live, learn, work and invest."
More information about upcoming employment academy courses is available at www.darlington.gov.uk/learningandskills by clicking 'courses for adults aged 19 and over' followed by 'Employment academy and vocational'.
Learning & Skills staff will also be on hand at Darlington Jobs Fair on Thursday 13 February, 10am-2pm, to discuss opportunities. Register online at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/darlington-jobs-fair-tickets-1087028634909?msockid=1688ec2d8ff267720959ffa78e786658