Why Eilidh joined Fair Start Scotland?
Eilidh, from Ayrshire joined Fair Start Scotland to gain some employability support to help her move into work. Since leaving college Eilidh lacked confidence and during lockdown she was forced to shield to protect people within her household making it more difficult to find the right role.
How Fair Start Scotland helped?
Eilidh met with her personal adviser Gayle and from the very first appointment it was clear to Gayle that she would benefit from confidence training delivered by our in-house tutor Sam.
Eilidh had already attended a few sessions prior to lockdown as well as receiving health and wellbeing support. When the government enforced lockdown, Sam called Eilidh to check how she was coping and to make sure she had access to a phone or laptop to use so she could take part in online training.
Eilidh expressed her anxiety on joining group calls so Sam reassured her and proposed a female only group which she was more comfortable to attend.
At the beginning she was quiet and reserved but as the sessions continued and a range of topics were discussed Eilidh was becoming more engaged. As the group got bigger with newcomers, Eilidh would always be the first to welcome them to the call.
To improve people’s confidence Sam would ask everyone the opening interview question ‘tell me about yourself’ as this would also help them in an interview situation. Sam conducted one-hour sessions twice a week and found Eilidh was responding well and becoming more proactive in the group discussions.
While Eilidh was attending the workshops, Gayle was searching for roles that suited her skills. A role at Morrisons matched Eilidh’s CV and after going through the job description with her, she was eager to apply and was successful in securing an interview. Sam supported Eilidh by giving her one to one interview preparation to give her the confidence in readiness for the interview.
Getting the job
Eilidh was offered the role at Morrisons and was delighted with the support Sam and Gayle provided. Eilidh’s long-term goal is to work in the beauty sector but for now it’s all about getting work experience as this is her first paid job.