Jade had low confidence and needed a boost, so her Work Coach thought this would be a good course for her to take. Jade was unemployed before joining the course and decided to go along to see how it could help. Read on below to read Jade’s story!

What were you doing before you started the programme?
I was a young mum and had a baby when I was 16. Although I didn’t complete secondary school, I did pass my GCSEs in Maths and English. I attended Alpha Training instead of going to school and gained a hairdressing qualification. I had been unemployed before joining the course.

How did you find out about the training?
My Work Coach, Jeanette, thought it would be a good course for me to take. I got some more information from Ben and Nicola at Release Potential, so I knew what was involved.

Why did you decide to join?
I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I did want to do something. I wanted to get out of the house and felt that I needed more qualifications. My mental health wasn’t good at the time. I decided to go along and see what the course could help me with.

What did you think of the training? How did it help you?
I enjoyed the course, so much so that it made me want to attend and go more! It helped to develop my confidence a lot and encouraged me to communicate with a wide range of people. I made some friends during the course and still keep in touch with some of them today.

Were there any barriers or obstacles you had to overcome?
My confidence was low and needed a boost. I can also get distracted easily and find it difficult to concentrate. The course helped me with this too and gave an opportunity to focus on something worthwhile.

What are you doing now?
I’ve always wanted to pursue a career in midwifery, but for a variety of reasons had never done anything about it. I’m now really pleased to be starting a midwifery course with the Shaw Trust for six months which leads to a college-based course with a work placement in a hospital setting. This will help to prepare me for hopefully going to university to study midwifery.

What impact has the training had on your life?
The course has helped to improve me and my self-confidence. It gave me a reason to get up in the mornings. I’ve also learned some new things, particularly about using computers.

What are your plans for the future?
My goal is to pursue a career in midwifery and become qualified in the profession after studying at university in Birmingham.

What would you say to someone who was thinking about doing the training but wasn’t sure?
I would say they should definitely do it! It really helped me to improve my confidence and focus on what I wanted to do.