Here at Aspire to Be we work with a wide variety of people from all different backgrounds to help them into work. Recently two members of our team, Neil Keeton, employer liaison Officer and Goals trainer, and Gez Naylor, our wellbeing coach, have linked up with the Armed Services in Doncaster to offer their specialist expertise to a group of young adults. Neil explains more.
QPD Armed services, based on site here at Doncaster Deaf Trust, is a military prep training provider that trains young people aged 16-18 who wish to join the military. Based in Doncaster, Sheffield and Hull, they provide courses in English, Maths and Uniformed services as well as an outdoors-based curriculum to prepare people for the demands of a physical job.
Recently, we joined forces with QPD Doncaster to work with a select group of learners who no longer wish to continue with a forces career pathway in order to help them continue to develop. So far, five people have taken advantage of this offering which aims to build confidence, skills, and aspirations for careers in various sectors outside of the uniformed services.
Part of my role, and my colleague Gez, involves delivering confidence and motivation sessions as part of our employability programme so this has really come into play working with this group. Some have had disappointments in life or have anxiety or mental health issues so we have been supporting them to get work experience, apprenticeships or full or part time work as well as building life skills and, importantly, self-belief.
So far, we have run a two-day motivation and confidence course which included a session by Emma Mellor from Doncaster Chamber of Commerce about traineeships and apprenticeships which gave them a really good idea of the opportunities that are available to them.
In the weeks to come the participants will also work towards having a fully functional CV, spec and cover letters, take part in mock interviews and understand job descriptions. Once they leave us the hope is that they will be better equipped for the working world and have the confidence and ability to apply for jobs that interest them.
For us, it’s a real privilege to support this group of young adults who are committed to developing and learning and improving their employability chances. We know they have a lot to offer and are confident they can reach their true potential.
To find out more about QPD please visit: forcesprep.co.uk