From Rock Bottom to Confident Smiles
Kate had been unemployed for 15 years when she came on the BAOH programme. Her confidence had hit rock bottom and she felt that she had nothing at all to offer. She had been selling the Big Issue for some time, but felt this would only discourage potential employers rather than help her move forward. She was introduced to the programme through a chance encounter whilst selling the Big Issue, and says that it has made a massive impact on both her and her daughter's lives.
Through BAOH, Kate was placed at Marks & Spencer in the menswear department for 2 weeks. After impressing during this initial fortnight, the placement was extended to a month, and Kate felt that working this extra two weeks unpaid was a great chance to show her commitment and will to succeed. The Monday after the placement ended she was offered a contract at the store, and hasn't looked back since.
Getting back into work has given Kate her confidence back, and allowed her to rediscover that she does have a lot to offer both her colleagues and her employer. She was pleasantly surprised at how welcoming and encouraging the M&S staff had been towards her, and was glad to find out that her background and route into work did not affect anyone's opinion of her.
She has gone on to follow her interest in computers and their peripherals and having gained extremely good customer service training and experience for over 18 months, she has now moved from Marks & Spencer to a computer retailer where she is gaining more knowledge in the career area that she wishes to advance into.
Now Kate smiles when she talks about her plans for the future. "Things are generally looking better, a lot more hopeful," she says, "There was nothing on the horizon before." She remains very impressed with how much BAOH has helped her. She had heard lots of government rhetoric about "getting people back into to work", but hadn't believed there was any real support out there. The programme was vital for her, she says, as "BAOH gave me the confidence-boost I needed before starting the placement which made going back to work that little bit easier."
For more information about Business Action on Homelessness and how you or your business can get involved, contact Angela Barnes, Coordinator, or call 01273 77089.
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