As a child, Abdul would often accompany his mum to CCHA tenant involvement meetings. Now as a young adult, he is being supported by the Employability Team to make decisions on his education and career.
Abdul said:
“I was the only child at lots of CCHA meetings growing up. I feel like I gained a lot from them, lots of my skills like teamwork and problem solving, were developed at CCHA! The group would sometimes ask my opinion as a young person living in a CCHA property and I was always willing to participate.”
When the opportunity came up to take part in a week long placement at the Cardiff based law firm Blake Morgan last Summer, the employability team at CCHA supported Abdul with vouchers for work attire and bus passes.
“This placement helped me develop good work experience and gave me something valuable to put on my CV which helped with both job and university applications. The people at Blake Morgan were great, they explained processes, and they focused on all the potential routes to careers in the Law sector, it wasn’t just about university.”
Abdul started his first year of A-level studies in September, doing psychology and BTEC applied science, but was keen to get a job to fund his social life and save up for university. He again approached the employability team who supported him with finding suitable roles and filling applications. Once he secured a retail position, they again provided a voucher for appropriate work wear.
Having applied to study at Cardiff University, Abdul is now managing his studies and coping well with the responsibilities of a job and coursework. He plans to drop his working hours down as his exams approach to prioritise his education, taking a long-term view of his future.
Our Employability Team can support you in getting to the next chapter in your life through employability skills, accessing training, or through volunteering with your local community. Find out more here.