Mrs K enrolled onto the Bridges project in September 2016, she had recently moved from Italy with her family. She was struggling to settle in the UK due to her lack of confidence with her communication skills and awareness of cultural and social etiquettes; she felt isolated and lonely.
Mrs K had no recognised qualifications/training and was looking to upskill herself by accessing confidence building, language skills, employability and vocational training interventions.
Within in one year Mrs K has attended three Bridges courses at CBO and has gained work experience via a voluntary work placement. She has progressed from working at an Entry Level to Level 1.
Mrs K was referred to Sandwell College where she completed and passed 4 Courses: ESOL Entry 3, Level 1 Speaking and Listening, Level 1 English Reading Functional Skills and Level 1 Maths Functional Skills. Additionally Mrs K has gained a Level 1 qualification in Nutrition and is currently attending Sandwell College to complete a Level 1 Childcare Course.
Mrs K was successful in applying for work and now is employed as a parcel sorter for Extra Personnel. This is her first job in the UK and a great opportunity for her to gain meaningful work experience. Mrs K has confirmed she will be continuing with her studies whilst working to support her family and to secure better future prospects for herself. By accepting this Job offer
Mrs K is confident that she will not be deterred or discouraged from achieving her life goals and aspirations as this a positive milestone which she has achieved. Mrs K has a confirmed work placement offer from ASRA homes which will enable her to enrol onto a NVQ level 2 Health and Social Care Course at Dudley College in 2018.
Bridges staff are confident Mrs K will be able to make informed choices for her future and access mainstream provisions and services for support and guidance if required. “Mrs K was shy, reserved and hesitated engaging in group activities and felt apprehensive to open up and speak. Her lack of confidence in her communication skills overshadowed her skills and ability. During her engagement in the project Mrs K has made significant progress and overcome a number of barriers to achieve her goals and objectives.”