After leaving school, Josh Wick*, a young man with a learning disability, needed support to find work. He was referred to the GREAT Project by Transitions, through Leicestershire County Council.
On his first meeting with his Employment Support Officer (ESO), Yachna, Josh spoke with enthusiasm about the support he needed to achieve his employment goal. Through his school, Josh had completed two years of work experience at a national supermarket.
Josh loved his time working for the supermarket, but had been unsuccessful with subsequent job applications. He wanted the GREAT project to support him with his CV writing and to provide feedback on his previous applications to achieve his dream of a permanent position with this particular supermarket.
Once Josh was signed up to the project he started Work Club straight away. During the sessions at Hinckley library, he received support with his CV, cover letters, interview skills and how to job search efficiently.
With the one-to-one support from Yachna, Josh completed a new CV and they went through the right answer for the questions on the application, providing Josh with tailored support to meet his needs.
Josh was invited for interview by the supermarket and was successful in securing a permanent position and his dream job.
Talking about the impact the Great Project has had on Josh, his mum said:
“It was important to me that Josh felt supported by a professional body and not just by a parent. I felt happy that it improves his chances of getting a job and feel supported. It was lovely to see that Yachna shared our sense of happiness and achievement when Josh told her he got his job.”
Yachna, his ECO said:
“Josh always walked away from our sessions with a smile on his face which made it extremely fulfilling to work with him. When Josh called me to let me know that he got a job at Tesco I couldn’t be more thrilled! He is an absolute inspiration and his dedication and determination to find a job at Tesco was really admirable!”
*pseudonym used