NATHAN: NORTH WALES TRAINING

Nathan saw a Careers Wales leaflet advertising North Wales Training Lifeguard Training and asked about courses. He was put on a course for the National Pool Lifeguard Qualification, First Aid at Work including Defib and Auto Adrenaline and Health and Safety at Work. While attending the course the Coastal Facilities Officer did a presentation to the group about the National Beach Lifeguard Course. Nathan was interested in doing this course and attending and completed it. Nathan was really motivated by the courses he did and said that the Beach course was hard going but he formed a bond with the people on the course and made new friends.

He applied for a job with Coastal Facilities which required him to have both the Pool and Beach qualifications he had obtained through North Wales Training, he also had the First Aid at Work and Defib etc. which added weight to his application. Without the support from North Wales Training, Nathan would not have had the relevant qualifications to apply for the job. Nathan said that he loves the job he is doing, loves coming to work every day and has never had a job he has enjoyed so much. Nathan said he gets up early every day to come to work and enjoys every day.

JUNE: NORTH WALES WOMEN’S CENTRE

 June was referred to the North Wales Women’s Centre (NWWC) by the Job Centre back in September 2009.  At that time June was suffering with severe depression and anxiety.  June wanted to do the Confidence Building Course at the NWWC, but she required childcare for her 3 year old little girl and was not in a position to finance the nursery fees herself.  Through Rhyl City Strategy, June accessed funding to pay for childcare, and so was able to attend the course.  By the time June had completed the course in December 2009, her confidence had grown so much that she decided to do some voluntary work.  June is now volunteering at her local primary school one afternoon a week and is also volunteering in a local charity shop.  June feels her life has turned around since doing the Confidence Building course and if it had not been for the childcare funding, she would not have been able to do it.  June has said she is really thankful for the funding and the North Wales Women’s Centre for helping her to slowly rebuild her life.  

STEVE: RESTART PROGRAMME, BTCV

 “Steve was unemployed when he joined BTCV’s RESTART programme after registering his interest at the event at the White Rose Centre.  In the first couple of classroom sessions he appeared quite unsure of the programme, but excelled during the practical. Steve was very enthusiastic about the manual work and this had a very positive effect on his team mates. Steve’s group usually did more work than was expected of a regular team of 3 or 4. Because of this Steve emerged as a natural leader, and was able to manage the team he was a part of by leading through example of working hard and enthusiastically.

Steve has been promised work by a friend managing the land around a fishery in the near future. I believe that after learning the skills on the RESTART programme he will be able to do this very well and enjoy his new role.”