LIAM: Digital Skills & pre-employability graduate
*To protect identities, images are not specific to the stories and names may be changed.
Liam’s Journey to The Social Switch Project:
When first met Liam through an event at Stockwell Job Centre, he was a 22-year-old graduate of forensic science with aspirations of joining the police force.
The police application process is lengthy, and Liam wanted to use the time to upskill himself and secure other professional avenues. His main barrier to work was that he lacked confidence and had no previous work experience. He wanted to gain more work and social skills through our Digital Skills & Pre-Employability Programme to overcome these barriers.
Finding Liam Support:
Liam is a polite and introverted young person that can come across as shy at times. At the beginning of the Programme, he was very quiet, taking in his surroundings.
We provided him with career-based support, helping him to improve his CV, cover letter, and interview techniques. Liam also learned how to use social media positively and safely, not only in his personal life but also in a professional setting. He worked with a team of young people on live project briefs gaining skills in project management, presenting and pitching, content creation, editing, filming, networking, and more.
It was during the project management task that Liam’s abilities became clear. He was selected to be the task leader and was able to provide clear instructions to his team. He delegated tasks efficiently and took instructions well.
From here Liam really came out of his shell, becoming a well-respected member of the team and sharing his opinions and ideas more freely. By working closely with his team Liam increased his teamwork and social skills, overcoming the confidence barrier that was holding him back.
During the course, Liam was invited to an interview with the police. His work coach helped him to prepare for this by researching questions likely to come up and conducting multiple mock interviews with him. These mock interviews boosted Liam’s confidence and helped him to feel prepared.
Outcomes:
We are so impressed with Liam’s progression. Once he had graduated from the course his work coach supported him in a work placement with INK-Global, the world’s largest travel media agency. They are an exciting company to work for whose motto is “you will leave here better than we found you”.
Liam was assigned the task of coming up with marketing strategies to attract a more diverse group of people into the organisation. He took all the skills he learned in the course and put them into practice; joining team meetings, taking down briefs, brainstorming with colleagues, and delivering a finished product.
He did so well in the work placement that they offered him a full-time role within the social media department. He was still interested in joining the police and awaiting the results of his interview at which point he would decide which career to pursue. His application to join the police force was successful, and he happily accepted the role.
Liam is very pleased with his personal journey. Through the programme, he made many friends and connections that he can lean on in the future. He now has structure and routine In his life which is ultimately giving him purpose and a sense of belonging. Liam feels confident in his abilities and is looking forward to his career in the police, he is also secure in the knowledge that he has other avenues to pursue.
Find Out More
Learn more about our Digital Skills & Pre-Employability Programme here