A course gave Dabir the skills he needed to start a career in the UK!
Dabir was finding it difficult to find work in the UK after his contract was terminated due to COVID. Anxiety around job uncertainty caused him to find counselling which led him to Twining enterprise for education and employment support. Education Specialist Kamlesh supported Dabir to find the right course which filled a critical gap in his CV, whilst Employment Specialist Dina provided ongoing support to stop him feeling so alone in his job search. Here Dabir tells Twining his story in his own words…
Like many people my job was affected by COVID. My contract was terminated. I left with no plan because I didn’t have any other experience in the UK employment market than what I had gained working in the international development industry. This is what I did before I arrived in the UK, and this is what I was also doing in the UK before COVID started.
However, there was no market for my industry in the UK – so it made it hard to find work here. There were few opportunities in the UK for me – but I was a refugee and I needed to find work here – despite having no experience in the UK market. So, I was left without experience and without a plan. At that point, I started to look for counselling as I had some anxiety about what was happening and the job insecurity that I felt.
My counsellor connected me with Twining enterprise to help. They said I could have training or help looking for work and I chose training to give me the skills I needed for a UK job market. They also helped by showing me positions and vacancies in the UK. The main focus was to give me the opportunity to learn a new skill, which addressed the gap I needed to fill on my CV.
However, the great help I got was not just the funding itself. I was confused about what skill I had to learn and what career path I had to focus on and I had been searching online and doing my research and found some courses that seemed to guarantee a job afterwards. This is when Kamlesh from Twining called me and shared with me his opinion about what he thought. He advised me to do my research based on what I wanted and what I needed. We started filtering options and he guided me to find the industry that best fits with my background and passion.
We chose one course and he shared with me a couple of trainers that could provide that course. Then we went into the details – the documentation that I needed and the funding etc. The course was more expensive than the available funding so to make sure I could still do it, we both paid halves.
Then I completed the course! – it was on agile project management, which is one of the most in-demand skills in the IT industry. Through the course I learnt new concepts and new skills which I used in my interviews. This gave me a chance to get an interview with one of the biggest banks in the UK. I got the job and I have been with them for around 6-7 months now. It’s been a great experience so far. The skills I gained from the course got me this position.
I am enjoying it too. It’s not just focused on the banking business – it’s more about the IT and tech in the banking sector. Now I’m gaining more skills in IT and banking, enabling me for the future to find other opportunities and positions, in both the IT and banking sector. It has broadened out my experience and broadens my opportunities in the UK market.
I don’t have anxiety anymore, now I have this position, there is no reason to feel anxious anymore. I have nothing to worry about anymore. I’m not like I was before when I didn’t have any UK job market experience.
As well as the course which Kam helped me with, my employment specialist Dina also helped me to find job opportunities. She gave me the psychological support – she gave me the feeling that I’m not alone in the job application process. It was great just being with someone like Dina that gave her positive energy to help and share possible job positions.
Please note - This charitable project is funded by the European Social Fund and The National Lottery Community Fund.
