Hi, my name is Laura and I’m just going to tell you a little bit about my journey with the Resilience Revolution and how my story ends with me feeling happy, with a career and a life plan. I have aspirations, I know my talents and am looking forward to the future.
The pressure of GCSEs and not passing had left me with low confidence. I had no career or future plans. I felt nobody was interested in what was inside of me or what talents I had. Due to this, my aspirations for the future were very poor and I made bad choices and decisions.
I knew I needed financial support whilst looking for work or education. I knew I needed to start building on the basics of my life to ensure I had a safe place to live and to go to. I knew I needed a way to maintain my healthy diet and have access to transport as a way of getting to job interviews or college.
I didn’t know much about how the system worked and how decisions were made. I did a little research online to find a place to go when needing support. When I went into the Job Centre I was hoping to get the guidance I needed all in one place.
However, that wasn’t the case. I was advised to go to Connexions. I received a map with directions to find the building where I had an interview for a 10-week employability course – with a guaranteed interview at the end.
However, this was an unpaid course and I was still worried what I would do for that amount of time with no money. So, I decided to get a part time job at B&M’s down the road from the course because this didn’t cause any barriers with accessibility. I started the course at 10:30am and finished at 3pm. Then I started my shift at B&M’s at 3:30 and worked until 7pm.
After the course, I applied for 3 apprenticeship roles within the same organisation. That organisation was HeadStart. I had three interviews, was offered all three jobs, so got to choose which one I wanted!
Since then, my apprenticeship has definitely been life-changing; I have developed massively professionally and personally. HeadStart has helped me understand my own mental health and supported me through it. Work has given me a reason to get up every day knowing I make an important contribution for young people. I feel listened to and respected, as well as valued.
During my apprenticeship, I have had opportunities to go abroad and to go to international conferences. I have spoken on the radio. I have also had opportunities to talk to local and national politicians, as well as going to Parliament. I chair meetings, do promotional work at conferences, I have translated the Resilience Framework into Polish and helped a young Polish boy access some of the resilience work in schools.
So, my job is so much more than a traditional administrator. I get to work as part of an inter-generational team. I have aspirations to develop my career, go to university to carry on with my business studies and one day I’d like to be a local councilor in Blackpool.
I have had a wonderful two years at my apprenticeship, and I am immensely proud to be a member of the HeadStart Team. I know that I’m more than ready to continue planning my future and my studies. The extension of my apprenticeship allowed me to complete my Level 2 qualification and then progress onto the Level 3 Business and Administration course. I’m proud of the person I have become during my apprenticeship, and I’m looking forward to what the future has to bring. I would like to thank my amazing team for all the support they have given me these past couple of years!
My advice would be if you get the chance to do something that seems impossible and challenging – Do It! It is so worth doing it and proving to yourself is the best feeling! Have high ambitions and aspirations for yourself and don’t ever give up! If you need help or support use the people around you who are there to help you plan out your future or even to help you with a career plan. There is always something or someone that will be able to help if you ask.