Shaun is a care leaver from Wolverhampton. He joined the REACH programme to help develop his confidence and learn new skills. We caught up with him to find out how he got on.
Why did you choose to join the REACH programme?
I saw it as a new opportunity to learn how companies work. I didn’t know anything about a lot of the departments in Wolverhampton Homes and what they do, so it has been a great opportunity and I've learnt a lot. I'm surprised at how many different teams there are in a company of this size and all of the different types of jobs they do.
How did you feel on your first day?
I was nervous and got lost coming here as I wasn't sure where I was going. On my first day I was with Homes Direct and I found it all very interesting to listen to all of the customer calls. I felt a bit uncomfortable at first as it's a new environment, but everyone was very friendly and welcoming so I soon felt more comfortable and enjoyed my first day.
My confidence has increased and I know I could take the lead on things now
Shaun Jones
What skills have you learnt from REACH?
I've developed more and better computer skills, and I've been working with the Marketing team and learning how to advertise and promote things so that staff and customers know more about them. My confidence has increased and I know I could take a lead on things if I needed to, and I wouldn't have said that six weeks ago!
What would you say to someone who was considering REACH?
If you get the opportunity go for it, there's no harm in trying new things like this and it will help you get where you need to go in some way. Stick to it, turn up for the placement days and enjoy your time.
And what's Shaun been up to since the REACH programme ended?
Shaun performed really well during his time on REACH, taking advantage of the opportunity to understand more about our services and how we work, and receiving positive feedback from his host team and manager.
When we launched our Apprenticeship recruitment in the summer, Shaun applied and again, gave an outstanding performance at the assessment centre, scoring highly from the recruitment panel. In September 2023 Shaun joined Wolverhampton Homes as a Business Administration Apprentice and he's enjoying getting stuck in and supporting other customers like him to resolve queries and complete their requests.
Interested?
We are now open for applications to the next intake for our REACH programme, which will start in January 2024.
