Hi, I’m Christian, Project Worker for the JOBS project in Bristol.
I have a proven background in the tertiary education sector as a Teacher and in a managerial capacity. I have supported and uplifted people from all backgrounds over the last 15 years. I’m hoping to use this experience to have a positive impact in my role at Barnardo’s.
I was up until recently a keen rugby player and now coach a senior and junior rugby team. I’m also a musician and perform in a band.
I am an employability and training professional with over 10 years’ experience in working with a range of un-employed and economically inactive young people to address barriers to employment and career progression by providing bespoke support, advice and guidance through a wide range of facilitative training, talent development and learning techniques pertaining to the focus on skill enhancement to meet the expectations of today’s workplace.
I have a passion for people development and helping individuals identify, aspire to, and take steps to fulfil their own unique potential beyond ‘work skills’ to sustainable employment.
I believe that a work life balance is important for everyone. Outside of work I am multi-disciplined Martial Artist and hold the rank of ‘Nidan’ and run a Martial Arts School. I have found that Martial Arts like many of my hobbies coordinates the mind and body to respond calmly to stress in everyday situations in healthy measured ways.
The JOBS project is a partnership between Amazon and Barnardo’s to get young people aged 18 to 29 into employment with 7 sites currently open across the United Kingdom.
The JOBS Project Training and Delivery Manager for the Midlands and South – Mandeep Bassan has this to say about a recent generous contribution to the programme of interview clothing from the award winning Jermyn Street Design:
“As part of a positive experience through The JOBS Project, we aim to equip young people will skills, knowledge, and resources to support them into employment. One of these support mechanisms is to provide young people with interview clothing, and we have been able to enhance this element of the project with JSD’s generous provision of quality garments. Young people have been able to use these for their interviews as well as keep for the future. On behalf of myself, the team and each young person you have supported, I would like to say a huge thank you to the JSD team.”
Jerymn Street Design’s – Sustainability Specialist Lisa Cunningham-Sherret, who has facilitated the contribution of interview clothing alongside Lisa Whiteaker – Client Services Manager had the following to say:
“JSD have over 65 world-leading clients in more than 80 countries across the globe, Jermyn Street Design helps business build brand value through award-winning uniform designs, ethical and sustainable production practices, and promotion of wearer well-being and productivity. Innovation lies at the heart of everything we do. We pride ourselves on pushing the boundaries of creativity and design, ensuring that our custom clothing reflects your brand identity but also sets you apart.
Supporting a good cause like Barnardo’s not only benefits the organisation itself but also promotes sustainability. These garments serve a crucial role in empowering the youth during job interviews, helping them present themselves professionally and confidently. JSD takes pride in supporting projects like this, as they align with our values of social responsibility and sustainability, enabling us to make a positive difference in the lives of young people while fostering a more inclusive and environmentally conscious society.”
“My name is Rawand, I am 26 years old and from North Iraq, the Kurdistan region. I moved to the UK in 2020 to seek asylum due to the ongoing conflict in my home country and the risk to my life. During my time living in Kurdistan, I attended university, and I became a qualified nurse, as I have always been passionate about helping people.”
“I arrived in the UK during the pandemic, which was difficult for me as I did not know anybody here, which meant I spent a lot of the time alone. However, I utilised this time to learn how to speak English and I taught myself how to paint.
Art is very much a passion of mine and I have always enjoyed doing it – it feels like an escape for me.”
“I have recently completed the Barnardo’s JOBS Project and I found it very helpful with building my confidence. It has also given me valuable employment skills such as the ability to create a CV, understand the job application process and how to be confident in an interview. The course has also helped me gain access to a hospitality programme, which will help me achieve my goal of getting a job. I am very appreciative of what Barnardo’s has done for me and I am looking forward to my future, here in the
UK.
AMAZON and Barnardo’s have launched their JOBS (Journey of Becoming Successful) project which supports young people, many of whom are care experienced, develop the skills needed to secure work and develop their careers.
The aim is to help prepare young people, aged 18-29, who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) and follows successful pilot schemes at Amazon fulfilment centres, which has seen 83% of participants finish the course and secure full-time work or a return to education.
In addition to the four pilot locations at Tilbury, Gateshead, Coventry and Dartford, launches will take place in Greater Manchester, Dunfermline and Swansea later this year. A further three locations will be announced in 2024. That means by 2025 the partnership will have helped a total of 500 young people since the JOBS Project began.
Twenty-four-year-old Matt Woodall, who works at the Amazon fulfilment centre in Tilbury, had been unemployed for a year before engaging with JOBS. Like many young people who struggle with their self-esteem, he felt he had few talents to offer prospective bosses.
“It was my confidence that I lacked,” he said, “all the skills that I didn’t know I had, that I didn’t understand that I had.“
Matt spent his year of unemployment feeling unsure about how he would re-enter the workforce. After a while, his jobs coach recommended joining the 10-week JOBS programme. The experience was transformative for Matt, with his coach saying he was “totally different” after it ended.
Speaking about the support he received through JOBS and the impact it had on his life, Matt said: “When I first joined Amazon, I was very shy. I didn’t talk to a lot of people; I didn’t really want to do anything that would make me stand out. After I completed the course, I can now say that I’m confident and I know what I want to do in the future.“
Alex Perkins, Amazon’s Workforce Engagement Placement Manager, who developed the partnership, said: “While the programme was originally designed to support care-leavers into work, the JOBS project has now expanded to include any young person aged 18-29 who is not in education or employment and feels at risk of that situation becoming long-term.
“We’re encouraging young people to think about where they want to go, and if that’s Amazon, that’s fantastic, if it’s somewhere else, then perfect because they’ve had the opportunity to pick for themselves what they want to do. Matt is the perfect example of the partnership transforming a life.”
Barnardo’s CEO, Lynn Perry MBE, said: “The cost-of-living crisis means that many more children and young people are growing up in poverty and missing out on opportunities, which affects their future prospects. We are delighted that through our partnership with Amazon, we can now help even more young people across the UK to build routes into employment and education within their local community thanks to the expansion of our JOBS Project.”
Amazon’s UK country manager John Boumphrey said: “I am exceptionally proud of our partnership with Barnardo’s. We believe in the potential of all young people and know that Amazon is a place their careers can start, grow and thrive. Working alongside Barnardo’s we have seen the programme grow from strength to strength and, most importantly, it’s having an incredible impact on the lives of young people.
“This initiative is unique in the level of support it provides and I am immensely proud of both the young people themselves and of our Amazon team which is making great strides to improve and expand its reach.”
Over 40 per cent of young people leaving care are classified as NEET and face a wide range of issues including self-harm, homelessness, mental health, debt and money management, self-esteem, ADHD, and autism, as well as young people caring for parents.
Amazon funds 10 weeks of pre-employment training for candidates with the aim of a permanent job at the company or another employer at the end of the course. The JOBS Project focuses on building up the confidence, mental and physical health, and skills of young people to enable them to achieve their full potential.
The JOBS Project has supported 65 young people since 2021. The participants came from a diverse range of backgrounds but have all have experienced challenges in their lives. Around 95% of participants in 2022 felt that, as well as employability skills, they had learned life skills that they can transfer into the world of work.
The course is designed to be more welcoming and informal than a school setting, which is an environment where many of these young people have struggled. You can find out about the scheme and how to apply at barnardos-ets.org.uk/centre/the-jobs-project
Amazon provides competitive pay, comprehensive benefits and a modern, safe and engaging work environment for its employees, with roles paying a minimum of £11.45 per hour. Amazon employees can also take advantage of Amazon’s pioneering Career Choice programme, which pre-pays 95% of tuition for courses in high-demand fields, up to £8,000 over four years, regardless of whether the skills are relevant to a career at Amazon.
Amazon also provides opportunities to improve existing skills or learn new ones through internal career progression opportunities such as cross-training, transferring to a different department and promotion into a managerial role.
Are you aged between 18 and 29 and not in education, employment or training?
The JOBS Project is a 10 week employability programme which will give you all the skills and knowledge you need to get a job. On completion of the course you will receive a certificate.
The JOBS Project is working in partnership with Amazon.
Our programme will support you in writing a CV and you will learn interview skills, effective team working skills, communication skills, time management, problem solving and resilience. We will provide continued support as you make the transition into work. All successful candidates will be guaranteed and interview at the end of the programme.*
Attendance is required three days a week. All course materials are provided free of charge. Reasonable travel and lunch costs will be reimbursed to you weekly.
The JOBS Project have site in Birmingham, Bristol, Coventry, Dartford, Dunfermline, Gateshead, London, Manchester, Stockton on Tees and Swansea.
*Interviews are offered to those candidates who meet the course objectives and expected levels of commitment.
If you are interested in joining a course in your area or want to know more, then complete the form further down the page and a team member will be in touch. Please include your location so we can directly you to your nearest service.
NEWS