The extenuating circumstances posed to the nation throughout 2020 caused unprecedented disruption to personal and career aspirations. Instead of a year of occupational development, job stagnation set in and unemployment rates climbed to 4.9% (Office for National Statistics, 2020) leaving socio-economic morale at a low. For Daisy, a turbulent combination of person circumstances and the Coronavirus pandemic meant she was forced to leave her job as a hotel manager in London and relocate home, to the Wirral. Upon arriving home national lockdown set in and Daisy found herself unemployed and joining thousands of other on the job market. She characterises this as ‘the struggle that everyone was facing’, contending that, after more than three years in the hospitality industry, ‘there was only so much I could offer’.

After signing up with her local job centre Daisy was contacted by her work coach who informed her about the distance learning courses offered by Release Potential. Daisy maintains that she had been looking into a career in IT and the distance learning course provided a welcome environment for her to ‘retrain and expand’ her ‘skill base’. Prior to beginning the digital course Daisy describes herself as ‘really wanting to get started with something’, she states, ‘I knew I would go in and give it my all’.

The change in living circumstance for Daisy, accompanied with the imposed lockdown restrictions, meant her daily routine was substantially destabilised. She argues, that for her, the course ‘made me feel like I was actually doing something’ going on the emphasise that ‘it helped me find a purpose again…it was massively beneficial’. Whilst aiding in her own personal growth through the implementation of routine, Daisy highlights the course as providing her with a ‘new friendship group’. Moreover, Daisy identifies the group task of creating a game as a highpoint, she states ‘we were all really excited to make the game from the first day’, with, as Daisy describes it, the production of the game ‘bringing everyone together’. As well as working successfully as part of a team Daisy identifies ‘learning the fundamentals’ as paramount to her enjoyment; ‘I can now say on my CV that I am able to effectively and efficiently use programmes such as Microsoft Excel’.

Over the 2020 Christmas period Daisy successfully obtained employment with jewellery retailer Pandora, working as a Christmas-temp Shop Assistant. Although this employment was a temporary contractual agreement it has left Daisy hopeful for the future. She contends ‘I’m unsure what career path I wish to take yet…but I have been thinking about something IT based or within the NHS’. The course provided Daisy with a multitude of success, but she emphasises ‘I learnt things I didn’t know before, I made friends I didn’t have, and I now feel more confident’. But, for now, Daisy stresses to those considering a distance learning course ‘you never know unless you try…so give it a go’.

Reference List • Ons.gov.uk. (2020). Unemployment – Office for National Statistics. [online] Available at: <https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peoplenotinwork/unemploy-ment> [Accessed 7 January 2021].