Imagine being so terrified of failing in class that even the idea of going to college filled you with fear, anxiety and dread.
For James, that was a reality. He had found school intimidating for as long as he could remember, and it only got worse as he got older. His fear of getting things wrong became so strong that he would rather avoid school altogether, than face the anxiety and dread.
To escape his fear, he took drugs and ran with the wrong crowd. He seemed destined to spend life in a prison because he never thought about the repercussions of taking drugs and breaking the law.
Then his Local Authority got in touch with Fresh Start in Education, who assigned a Work Place Mentor to James, to steer him through an Accompanied Work Placement.
And… then there was hope.
Most people saw James as a drain on society, but his Work Place Mentor saw the scared young man hiding behind the behaviour. Given the right support and guidance, James could make something of himself. His early engagement and training sessions took things back to basics, focussing on helping him to understand the consequences of his behaviour. James started to see how his behaviour affected his life and that how everything he did had a consequence.
Once James realised his love of cars could take him into employment, he has never looked back.
As his confidence and belief grew, James worked hard at his studies and completed modules in the “Careers and Experiencing Work” and “Manufacturing Vocational Taster” courses. In addition to achieving Functional Skills Maths qualifications, he has also gone on to pass his English exam. His fear of failure has become a thing of the past, and James is now doing something with his life.
The transformation from troubled teenager to work-ready apprentice is well underway. James will be supported by his Work Place Mentor while he successfully integrates into the work environment.
Do you know someone like James who may need help to get on the right track..?
At Fresh Start in Education, we provide specialist 1:1 support to students aged from 16 to 25 years old with the aim of finding them long-term employment or an apprenticeship. Our Work Place Mentors provide holistic support centred around their needs designed to help their students integrate successfully into the work environment. We also work with 5-16 year olds who are out of education or at risk of suspension, also those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, re-engaging them into specialist and main stream education.
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.
