2. Bradley
Tell us a little about yourself…
"I am 27 years old, living in North London. I like to play football, go to the gym, socialise with friends, go for walks and also like to listen to podcasts and music. I come from a customer service and retail working background and have higher education qualifications in the field of psychology."
You’ve recently been given a Development Award from The Prince’s Trust that’s been funded by New Look — tell us what this means to you and how it’s helped your day-to-day life?
"Receiving the development award from The Prince’s Trust meant a lot, especially for peace of mind. It was awarded to me for my first month’s travel expenses, so I would not have to worry about trying to get into work until I received my first month’s salary. Knowing that my travel had been covered was very reassuring."
With the help of The Prince’s Trust you were able complete a customer service programme with South Eastern trains and land yourself a new job. How are you enjoying your new role?
"The new role has been enjoyable so far, especially as I have always wanted to work for a transport service provider. I was so used to being a commuter and it has been insightful to see what representatives of a transport company go through when dealing with customers and providing a service.
In my position there has been lots of theory to take in and then assessments after, which has reminded me of my studies in education. But so far, I have been able to at least pass all the assessments I have taken, so it has not been too stressful.
The focus is always the health and safety of others and this is always echoed in all training and learning, as we all need to be safe when using transport services. It’s been refreshing to see all the different equipment, technology and machines that are used to fulfil roles within the company, too."
Aside from helping you land yourself an exciting new job, how else has The Prince’s Trust impacted your life?
"Aside from helping me to secure my current role, The Prince’s Trust has done two things for me.
It has changed the way I see help. I very much deal with things a lot on my own and have had success from this, but I have realised it is ok to seek help in different ways from different sources. When wanting to get a new job I did not have it in mind to look at completing a course in order to potentially secure a new role.
The second is that it has allowed me to expand my horizons and take on new opportunities that would not have been on my radar before completing the programme. I received great feedback from my placement and while studying at The Prince’s Trust’s South London centre, and it has allowed me to be considered for different opportunities such as this one, so new experiences have become easier to acquire."