Ben had a chaotic upbringing, he lurched from a turbulent school life to college via a PRU. Having spent much of his life struggling in education, he had no idea where to turn when his college place fell through.
Desperation gripped like a vice and drug addiction became all he knew. He was in danger of falling through the cracks and becoming yet another tragic ‘NEET’ statistic lost by the system forever.
All that most people saw, was a difficult teenager addicted to drugs, but Ben’s life was transformed when his Local Authority Leaving Care Team engaged the services of a specialist organisation who offered something totally different - an Accompanied Work Placement. He was assigned a dedicated Work Place Mentor who had experience working with students with similar challenges.
Ben’s Work Place Mentor discovered an individual longing for someone to believe in him. His Work Place Mentor got to know him and designed bespoke engagement and training sessions. A career had never been on Ben’s radar, let alone within his grasp, but suddenly he saw his interest in cars becoming part of his future. Ben’s Mentor also found an employer who was prepared to take Ben on with the help of the Mentor, so that he could integrate into the workforce.
A holistic approach to understanding and working with Ben has been transformational. Together, Ben and his Work Place Mentor have built on his strengths and addressed his less developed areas, and his confidence has grown.
In addition to developing Ben’s technical knowledge and personal skills, he has improved his self-evaluative skills. He is now working towards Functional Skills qualifications and has completed ASDAN ‘Careers’ and ‘Experiencing Work’ modules.
Ben’s journey continues …
There are a lot of students like Ben out there, you probably know some. For most of them, all they need is the right opportunity and someone who believes in them.
We are Fresh Start in Education Ltd. Our Accompanied Work Placement program works with students from 16 to 25 years old. Our aim is to find them suitable long-term employment, or an apprenticeship, and with 1:1 support prepare and help them adapt into a work environment.
For more information about our nationwide Accompanied Work Placement program, call 0203 409 6410 or email info@freshstartedu.co.uk.
To download a copy of our brochure, click here.
