Mangala came to the JETS team in 2019. At that time, she was working in a garage but had a Level 3 qualification in Beauty so wanted to find work in a salon.
After exploring a few options, we realised that Mangala needed to work on her confidence and wellbeing. She had previously run a salon herself but, owing to difficult life experiences, she realised she needed to access counselling before finding work. JETS paved the way for her to receive counselling via Breathe
In 2020, the pandemic hit and Mangala was on furlough from the garage. Soon after, she found herself out of work altogether. Her determination to succeed grew, and received advice from the Money Support Team during this time. She also went on the Living Life to the Full course.
JETS supported Mangala during this period by focussing on her job skills development. To make sure she could apply for the jobs she wanted, JETS gave her a laptop. She refined her application form technique, and improved her interview skills. She applied for every salon job she found and, due to her increased resilience gained from counselling and Living Life to the Full, she found she did not give up when she received rejections.
Finally, in September 2021, Mangala found a job in a salon. There, she exercised her talents and skills, offering to help develop the Brow Bar into a beauty business through offering other beauty services. JETS helped her to get the equipment she would need to do this, and the PPE to keep her and her customers Covid safe.
In her new job, Mangala said “I feel so happy I never gave up, and I hope I can inspire other women who may have lost their confidence to approach CCHA. You’ve all been fantastic.”
If Mangala’s story resonated with you and you’d like to receive support in achieving your life goals, get in touch! To read more about our JETS and Reach projects, take a look at the following pages: