Kent Success Stories

Commitment to training leads the way to full-time employment for the students at TBG Learning.

The New Deal programme is proving to be a huge success helping people who have been unemployed for long periods. This provision allows clients to evaluate what skills they have and skills they need to allow them to re-enter the working environment.

Anthony Campbell
When Anthony joined the course he had been unemployed for a number of years, Anthony had quite a negative view to employment due to constant knock back from employers.

Anthony attended Virgin Megastore’s as part of his work experience programme and during his time there became more outgoing and positive. As Anthony’s confidence grew his job search improved and he gained several interviews.

Anthony impressed his employer at Virgin Megastore’s so much that he was offered permanent employment.

Kevin Smith
Kevin Smith now works as a Salesman for Baldwin & Sons previously being unemployed for 2 years. Without the resources available through the programme and staff support, access to the internet, C.V and letter writing workshops and the hard work of Job Brokers and Placement Mentors, chances of success would have been a lot less likely.

Martin Coleborn
We have been working closely with Iceland Foods Plc branch in Gravesend and have had great success with a number of placements who have entered full-time employment. Martin Coleborn who is 19 years old, has been working at Icelands for 6 weeks now, originally taken on as a store assistant has already gained promotion and is training to be a Duty Manager. By his own admission Martin quotes “he couldn’t be bothered when he came first on programme, but now after going on placement he is now able to channel all his energy into his work and cannot wait to learn something new”.

Martin will continue to gain new skills by enrolling on the “Train2Gain” programme allowing him to gain an NVQ Level 2 in Customer Service. His Branch Manager Caroline Robinson said “I have found the TBG scheme to be very valuable in helping employ team members for my store. It gives me a longer period of time to get to know how suitable they would be in retail and also gives them more detailed insight to what we do”.

Richard Begg
Richard came to TBG in December 2007 to do the IAP work experience course; he came here looking to gain employment in shipping/forwarding, administration and courier work. We helped Richard find a placement at Sense Trading as a drivers mate and Richard was quite adamant it wasn’t what he wanted to do. We then asked Richard to go for a one day trial and see how he feels after that if he still feels it isn’t for him then we will try to find him another placement.

Richard gave us a statement on his last day with us;
“I was a bit wary about TBG Learning and the whole placement situation at first but Dawns employability workshops helped me with improving getting back into the working routine and I feel this encouraged me to look for work. I wouldn’t have gone to Sense Trading for a placement to be honest but Kirsty had arranged it for me and said I could do a one day trial and if I feel I would benefit from it then I could stay at Sense for my placement. I must admit it did take some persuasion from her but I am glad she did and I am glad I took this opportunity now as Sense has offered me employment. I couldn’t see a light at the end of the tunnel but thanks to TBG Learning there is!”

Kayleigh Message
Kayleigh started at TBG on the 23rd July 2007 and was to attend the basic skills course for 26 weeks. Kayleigh started at entry level 2 in numeracy, she had some knowledge of numbers but wasn’t very confident when using them. Kayleigh was very quiet and lacked confidence in all areas of the course but was very keen to make up the gaps in her learning; she had a very good attitude towards her work and completed all tasks set to her in a very enthusiastic manner, she even asked for work to take home. I worked on a one to one basis with her and she also attended group lessons in which she was a very valid member of the group and participated well.

Whilst on the course Kayleigh also attended a few employability skills workshops that included interview techniques, telephone techniques and C.V. writing. With help from the job broker Rob Haplin, Kayleigh created a C.V and was shown how to write spec letters to prospective employers; soon she was being made offers of interviews and although she was nervous got good feed back from the employers after the interview, which improved her confidence immensely.

Kayleigh had only been attending the course for 7 weeks when she was offered and accepted a job for a company called SOS computers as a slide scanning technician. As Kayleigh was only at TBG for seven weeks she didn’t get to complete her numeracy exam but in her own time Kayleigh came back to TBG and completed her numeracy and literacy level 1 City and Guilds exam.

Carey Boosey
Carey came to TBG Learning on an IAP work experience course and was interested in going into a retail environment. At the time of being referred to us his wife was pregnant and this was preoccupying Carey’s mind rather than actively seeking employment. Nevertheless we placed him in Iceland in Sittingbourne to work on the shop floor and help with deliveries. Carey was enjoying his placement and Russell, the manager was impressed with his work. However, Carey had a major knock back – his wife begun to suffer complications and Carey went over his absence limit and was therefore dismissed from the course.

A couple of months later Carey was re-referred to us to complete his remaining weeks, and we organised for him to go straight back into Iceland. Carey worked hard and always put in one hundred per cent effort. However yet again his wife became unwell and Carey had a week off in order to take care of his children. We thought it was time repeating itself and that Carey would once again exceed his absence limit. However Carey stayed in daily contact with the centre and Iceland letting us know how things were going and after a week off, Carey returned to Iceland. After this time Carey had no more time off and worked hard to prove himself to Iceland. Carey’s hard worked paid off and a couple of weeks before his course ended Iceland offered him employment. Since being taken one Carey has been till trained and is thoroughly enjoying being back in the working environment.

Sarah Brusby
Sarah came to TBG Learning to complete a VSO option and wanted to work within a retail environment. In Sarah’s first week her attendance and time-keeping was very poor, nevertheless we set up an interview at Somerfield and the manager Gareth was happy to give Sarah chance. Sarah was told that she needed to improve upon her timekeeping and attendance, which was taken on board by Sarah. However, Sarah was often missing part of her job search days due to various appointments and visits to the police station. Sarah seemed to get herself into various difficult situations and seemed to always be in the wrong place at the wrong time getting into fights or having problems with the police.

Nevertheless, her placement was really impressed with attitude at work and her commitment to her role within Somerfield. As a result of the encouragement of her placement and the centre Sarah begun to keep herself out of trouble and put all of her efforts into her placement. As a result of Sarah determination Somerfield offered her a supervisor post in there Sittingbourne branch.

Shane Phillips
Shane Philips Shane came to TBG looking for employment within a computer or I.T environment, however had no formal qualification in that area and was finding it difficult to get into the industry. Shane had little confidence and had poor communication skills; however had a real talent for anything I.T based. Therefore we worked hard to find a placement to offer Shane some work experience in this area – which proved a really hard task. We finally managed to find somewhere in Gillingham that was interested in taking on a placement if they had the right skills for the job. Therefore we set an interview up for Shane for him to show his computer skills and how he could help the company. Shane came back from the interview quietly confident, the manager was impressed with Shane’s knowledge; however the placement proved to be unsuccessful.

Consequently, Shane’s placement ideas needed to be reassessed and it was suggested that maybe to try a different employment path. Therefore Shane chose to try a retail placement and went for an interview with Somerfields in Sittingbourne. This time he was successful and started a placement doing stock replenishment. As time went on Shane’s confidence began to grow and his placement was helping him to develop his communication and interpersonal skills.

Shane began to thoroughly enjoy his placement, and his dedication started to pay off as he was given his own section, the freezers and it was Shane responsibility to unload the deliveries and replenish all the stock for the frozen section. During Shane’s time at his placement he proved that he was a hard worker and reliable therefore Somerfield created a job for him on the freezer section.

Asda Success Stories

TBG Learning worked in conjunction with Job Centre Plus and ASDA to set up a training programme for learners wanting to work in the new ASDA store opening in Folkestone. Although the course was designed and run by TBG staff, it was opened up to learners already on provision with other local providers.

The course consisted of industry specific modules mixed with motivational activities. The course was designed to help the learners get through their interviews successfully.

Robert Claw came to the course eager to participate in any way if it would help him find work. He approached the course with an open mind and brought with him a sense of fun. He took part in all the team building activities and was encouraging to his other team members. He completed the course and interview successfully.

Andrew Clarke came onto the course after several months of active job search. Although Andrew was keen to find work, he had become despondent after receiving several rejection letters. The motivational activities and team work really lifted his spirits and he started to believe in himself again. He completed the course and sailed through his interview successfully.

Roland de Kersey was very good in the modules and always seemed to have the right answer. However, when it came to the team building and motivational activities he was introverted and lacking in confidence. Knowing that the first part of the recruitment process was a group interview requiring some role play, the tutor spent a lot of time encouraging him. By the end of the course, Roland was very much a part of the group and was actively joining in with the rest of his team. It was still a worry that during his interview he wouldn’t come out of his shell enough to complete the role play successfully. However, on the day he did brilliantly and gained employment with ASDA.

Theresa Chambers
Three new members of staff at TBG Learning Kent were familiar faces before they even began their new jobs at the Centre in Gravesend. Theresa Chambers, Kevin Warren and Ian Webster all had long histories of unemployment before discovering TBG Learning after referral from Jobcentre
Plus.

“We positively seek to place unemployed people in vacancies within our centre at Gravesend”, says Mark Baldock, Manager, TBG Learning Kent. Theresa Chambers (pictured) a 44 year old grandmother who hadn’t worked for eleven years and has completed a series of IT qualifications in order to win her administration job, says “I was an insurance clerk but after bringing up my family I got into a rut of unemployment and living on benefits. My future now looks a whole lot better”.