Josh’s story

After redundancy, Working Wales helped Josh to start on a career path he was passionate about.

Unexpected redundancy

Cardiff resident Josh, aged 27, faced unemployment following a sudden redundancy.

His situation made him realise he wanted a job where he could help people or have a direct impact on his local community.

Josh said: “It was almost like a blessing in disguise because it made me stop and think about what I really want.

“I tried to turn what happened into a positive step in my career.”

Seeking support

Josh contacted Working Wales after his partner came across an advertisement for the ReAct+ scheme on YouTube. He wanted to know more about the funding and how it could support his career development.

He met with careers adviser Linda Thomas to talk about his next steps.

Josh said: “Linda was really good at explaining exactly how everything worked and how I could use this funding to my best advantage. She took the time to understand my situation and interests.”

“I left the meeting feeling relieved and motivated. It was great to know that I was no longer out on my own without any kind of support.”

Securing a job offer

Josh continued to apply for jobs while he was also researching courses that he could apply for with the ReAct+ scheme.

He ended up getting a job offer as an administrative assistant at the Centre for Digital Public Services. Josh felt it was a good match with what he wanted for his career and growth.

Josh said: “Although I didn’t end up using the ReAct+ grant for more training, I am very happy for having that appointment with Linda and talking about my career plans. It helped me focus and think about what I really wanted.

“I received many tips from Linda on how to present myself as a good applicant for jobs in the public sector and they were really useful. I think it ultimately helped me get the job offer.

“In my new job there is a clear path progression and I can move to a different part of the organisation if I wanted to. I feel very optimistic about where I am and I am grateful I’m in this position.”

Advise for others

Providing advice to others in a similar situation, Josh added: “When you are out of a job, it can be really stressful, and making a change by yourself is difficult.

"Getting support and career advice from Working Wales is like having a safety net. So if you want to make a positive change in your life, there is support there to enable you to do so.”

If you’ve been affected by redundancy and feel you need redundancy support or access to training and upskilling, please visit Redundancy Support or contact us.

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