After losing his job as a stage crew member due to the pandemic, Fair Start Scotland gifted Stephen a device to apply for jobs at home, which helped him find a completely new job.
Why Stephen joined Fair Start Scotland
Before joining Fair Start Scotland, Stephen worked as a stage crew member. Unfortunately, the pandemic brought the entire industry to a halt and he was subsequently left without a job and nowhere else to go. Stephen was unsure what type of work he would like going forward. He did not have access to Wi-Fi or have a device in his home. This made job searching and applications difficult and time consuming as he relied on friends’ support to access the internet.
How Fair Start Scotland helped
Stephen’s personal adviser, Jen, supported him with weekly calls to identify the support he needed. Jen found that he did not have a CV when he joined the programme so she created one using the Fedcap Hub. A new Chromebook and Wi-Fi was applied for through the Connecting Scotland initiative. The application was successful and with the new devices, Stephen was able to access the internet and his emails in his own home, making his job search a lot easier and more efficient. The new device also helped him to improve his IT skills, which was another positive to add to the CV.
Jen supported Stephen to identify alternative job goals including driving, warehouse, and greenkeeper roles whilst he was unable to work in the music industry. Stephen applied and was successful in achieving full time employment in a driving and stores assistant role.
What’s next?
Stephen will aim to continue working, but he hopes he can once again return to stage crew work as COVID restrictions ease and venues continue to open. We will continue to support Stephen with job searching and applications as part of his in work support.