I was in a situation where I wanted to change jobs. I was working nights in a care home and wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but I knew that the fact that I didn’t have a minimum of Level 4 (Grade C) at GCSE in Maths would make it difficult for me to change jobs. So I got in contact with CXK as I knew they could help, and they called me and arranged a time when I could meet them to have a chat. In that chat we discussed what would benefit me the most which was the Elevate programme.
“It encouraged me to come out of my comfort zone”
I really enjoyed my Elevate experience; it encouraged me to come out of my comfort zone and meet new people. A big part of Elevate was working as a team with people I hadn’t met before. I felt more engaged in the lesson when everyone was involved; I also really enjoyed the learning. It was a lot more relaxed and chilled out than I expected which made learning a lot more fun and enjoyable.
They also helped find different ways of learning that suited different people which I found really useful. I found Luke and Ali, who run the course, really supportive and friendly. It made me want to learn and keep coming back rather than giving up. I feel like they took the serious out of learning and made it more fun.
“Elevate helped me massively build up my confidence”
Elevate benefited me by helping me see that I was capable of doing Maths; I just need to find a way of learning that works for me. It helped me massively build up my confidence. The one key benefit I found from Elevate was the opportunity to complete a work placement in my chosen area of work. Having never been sure on what I wanted to do as a career, I chose to spend my work experience in admin, and managed to secure a placement at CXK. This then gave me the confidence that the placement I chose was what I wanted to do as a career and also made me want to secure full time employment in that area of work.
“Now I’m in full time work with CXK, in a job that I love “
Once I had finished Elevate it gave me the skills I needed to be ready to find a job . Two months after finishing Elevate, I started an apprenticeship in Business Administration, which gave me the chance to develop my skills further. Now, a year on from completing the programme, I am in full time work with CXK in a job that I love – as a Compliance Administrator for the National Careers Service. I have almost finished my apprenticeship in Business Administration level 2 and now I am now potentially looking at going further with this qualification, which I would not have been able to do with without the skills I gained from Elevate.
My future goals now are to learn and progress within the company I now work for, to further my business administration qualification to a level 3, and now I have a secure job – to save for a house.
The Elevate Programme is a 12 week course available to anyone living in Kent aged 16-25 and not in education, employment or training. Elevate gives you the chance to build your confidence, develop your Maths and English skills, gain valuable work experience, and get all of the advice and guidance you need to take the next steps towards finding a job, or moving into education. For further information, including how to apply, visit our Elevate page.
