A 24-year-old man from Cwmfelinfach has credited Welsh Government employment support and funding for helping him kickstart his dream career, after he was made redundant shortly before the birth of his first child.
Facing redundancy
The help could not have come at a better time for Luke, after his job at a Covid-19 test centre was coming to an end, and his daughter’s due date just months away.
“I worked for a small IT company but unfortunately the business went under and I was made redundant for the second time in my career.
“I lost my love for the industry a little and knew I wanted a hands-on job that offered stability for me and my new family, which is when I set my sights on becoming an electrician”.
Getting support from Working Wales
Luke met with a Working Wales adviser to discuss his career goals.
They started developing a package of support that would help him get back into employment. This included funding for a training course.
“After a few months of exploring different options, I was eventually offered a place on all of the essential training courses I needed, including my manual handling, and asbestos awareness.
“The ReAct+ funding paid for the entirety of my course fees and travel expenses, so I didn’t have to worry about finding the money myself as a new dad.
“I was also so grateful to have ongoing support from Working Wales throughout the process. They were there for me through all the highs and lows.
“It means so much to know you have a coach and mentor to support your whole job search journey and offer practical advice like interview preparation”.
“My one piece of advice for anyone who’s worried about their future after being made redundant would be to give Working Wales a call and find out about all of the support they can offer you. They will personalise their support to your specific needs, whatever role or industry you want to go into.
“The support they offered me has been invaluable. Their knowledge and expertise in how to navigate a career change, apply for jobs, and write a CV were the main reasons I was able to secure my training and current role.
“Without the ReAct+ funding and support, I wouldn’t have been able to take the first steps towards my goal of becoming a qualified electrician and securing a stable job to support my family”.
Explore
Find out about the redundancy support available to you in Wales. Get help with how to move on from redundancy with confidence.
ReAct+ offers tailored solutions which includes financial support for vocational skills training and training-related expenses to help remove barriers to employment.
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