Communities for Work+ help young person find first job

19 year old Kiera Holland was missing some of the key factors needed to secure a job: confidence, work experience and qualifications. Through support provided by Communities for Work+ (CFW+), Keira is now employed for 10 hours a week as a cleaner in Aberaeron.

Kiera contacted the Communities for Work + team after seeing one of their Hospitality & Tourism campaign adverts on Facebook. The team got to work immediately by helping Keira on a one to one basis with CV building, interview skills, and job searches.

Confidence-building sessions and mock interviews were carried out to help Keira gain the skills needed to progress.

Keira said: ‘’My experience working with Communities for Work Plus has been a delight. Since joining the scheme to help myself find work, I have learnt lots of new skills such as making a CV, and attending job interviews, which has definitely come in handy since finding work. I can’t thank the team enough for helping me find work and for giving me their time to assure I succeed. Thank you for all the help, I really appreciate it you’ve been amazing.’’

Keira will continue to receive support from the team until she’s secured employment of 16 hours or more per week.

Councillor Catrin Miles, Ceredigion County Council Cabinet Member for Schools, Lifelong Learning and Skills, Support and Intervention, said: “Hearing how CFW+ has provided Keira with so many different skills to enable her to step into the world of work is an encouraging and important message to others who may find themselves in the same situation that Keira once was in. When job seekers can’t find the right role for them or lack skills needed to progress further, hope can diminish. But with support teams like CFW+, job seekers don’t need to do it alone.”

Communities For Work+ is a Welsh Government funded project, delivered by Ceredigion County Council which supports individuals in or at risk of poverty, aged 16 or over, across Ceredigion and throughout Wales. Participants may be experiencing in-work poverty, unemployment, living on minimum wage or struggling to pay basic monthly outgoings on sporadic zero hour contracts.

Mentors provide 1:1 support for participants with writing CV’s, undertaking mock interviews, up-skilling and funding a wide variety of training including help with starting up their own business.

If you think the project may be able to help you or if you would like more information, contact the team on 01545 574193 or email TCC-EST@ceredigion.gov.uk.