Josh's Story

Josh's Background

Josh attended college to complete a Business Level 3 course, but was unsure about what he wanted to do for work. After some convincing, he decided to visit our Youth Hub and see what support was available.

First Steps

'I wasn’t actually sure about attending the Youth Hub at first, as I wasn’t aware of what they offered in terms of support, but Tracey was very helpful in convincing me to give it a try.

When I first attended the hub, I was at a crossroads about where I wanted to go with my career. Since then, after multiple work experience placements, I realised that a career in the Civil Service is the best option for me.'

Whilst on our Programme

'From my first appointment with the Youth Hub, I was confident in being able to find jobs that I liked, but the main barrier to me was being able to pass an interview. My social skills were relatively poor as a result of COVID and neurodiversity.

With my current experiences and the courses I’ve attended, I’ve been able to pass the interview to become a work coach, and I’ve seen my people skills improve greatly as a result of this.

I think the main factor for me believing I could take this role was when I took part in the Movement to Work course. The staff were very helpful in helping me understand the recruitment process with the Civil Service and how demanding it is. They were able to break it down so I could understand it better, and allowed us to observe different parts of the Duke Street site to be able to realise that a career in the Department for Work and Pensions was a good option.

Suzi at the Youth Hub allowed me to see all the options for courses and work experience opportunities that were on offer, more specifically the steps to work at Strawberry Field. This helped me massively with my soft skills that I was able to take into several work experiences with them, one at their site and one at the airport.

When I told the Youth Hub I had the interview here, Suzi was very good at giving me tips for the interview process, as this was the main challenge that I faced with getting a job. The tips Suzi gave me I was able to take into the interview with me, and they helped me be able to answer what they had to ask me sufficiently.

Overall, my daily mood has definitely increased; I feel a lot more motivated now, as being in a constant work search can be draining at times. I wake up with things to work towards, where I didn’t have that before, but my overall stress levels have lowered as well, as my mind is at ease when it’s occupied.'

Next Steps

'I definitely feel more secure now, as I’ve heard so many success stories about careers in the civil service. I think it’s a valuable career that I’ve been able to get. The paycheck felt amazing, but the main thing for me is financial security and being able to give back to my parents.

Since I first attended the Youth Hub, I've come to realise just how good Disability Confidence is. I wasn't sure about the idea at first, but given how much it has helped me throughout the application process for this role, I strongly recommend a Disability Confident employer to those who feel getting a job will be difficult due to employment barriers.

The help that I've received since I've been in this role and while being offered this role has made me believe that my future is in very safe hands.'