The Benefit of Building Confidence: How Kayleigh Davies achieved her dream career with Itec
Before discovering the Restart Scheme, Kayleigh Davies was a full-time mother and had previously worked as a cleaner at Monmouth Comprehensive School. Her ambition was to become a special education teaching assistant but worried that her lack of qualifications would inhibit her from reaching her goal; having left school with GCSEs and an A-level in Psychology. Nevertheless, she had the motivation to begin her journey as this is a career close to her heart, due to a close relation of hers currently undergoing a possible autism diagnosis. Kayleigh wanted to gain new skills, deepen her understanding of the subject, and offer support.
Due to difficulties in her personal life, Kayleigh initially found it difficult to obtain suitable employment. She also experienced mental health issues. Kayleigh, however, had a confidence transformation with the aid of CV feedback and enhanced employability skills thanks to the Restart programme and Courtney, her employability advisor. Kayleigh also completed an online course on special educational needs, expanding her knowledge and boosting her confidence further.
Kayleigh was recently offered a job as a teaching assistant, working with children from ages 7-19 with social, emotional and mental health difficulties. After three years of unemployment, Kayleigh feels much more independent and secure as an individual and is eager to step back out into the working world.
Kayleigh’s advice to her younger self or others in a similar situation would be: