The wait is over, the exam results are in and now GCSEs are officially behind you. It’s an exciting time, but for many it is also a time of uncertainty, posing the question ‘what do I do next?’

Joel Wilson began studying IT through��Jobs Growth Wales +��– a programme designed to help 16- to 19-year-olds get ready for the world of work. He initially began studying with �ײ���Ƶ to get more experience in the field of IT. He had also heard that the Engagement strand of the programme offered work placements.

Joel attended a talk given at �ײ���Ƶ’s headquarters, Ocean Park House, where Principality Building Society spoke about the different digital opportunities they have within the company.

Joel expressed an interest in applying for a role with them and he, along with three other IT learners, attended an interview in the following weeks.

Joel was successful, securing a 12-month placement with Principality in partnership with �ײ���Ƶ’s sister company,��ALS, as a Junior IT Analyst.

His role will involve helping fix computer problems for staff members and customers.

Of his time with JGW+, Joel said: “My favourite part of studying IT has been exploring different applications. I wanted to be more confident in myself and I’ve improved my ICT skills. I can now create better PowerPoints, animations and posters using apps like PowToon and Canva.”

The Jobs Growth Wales+ programme is all about confidence building, not just within a learner’s chosen field but in developing personal and professional skills. Learners are encouraged to study topics such as mental and sexual health and hone key skills in numeracy and literacy.

IT and Business Skills Tutor Matthew Hillier said: “Joel has been a pleasure to have in IT at �ײ���Ƶ.�� From the outset, he demonstrated dedication to his studies, showing a genuine passion for IT and a keen interest in understanding the complexities of the field.

“I wish Joel the very best in his all of his future endeavours and I am confident his ambition will guide him into a very promising and rewarding career.”

At �ײ���Ƶ we know that undertaking a new course of education, at any level, can be a daunting task, but we offer support to ensure you feel confident and comfortable as you get started.��

Childcare learner, Jasmine Warner, came to our Aberdare Skills centre earlier this year through our Get Ready programme (an initiative designed to ease new learners into a course before they commit to Jobs Growth Wales +).��

Initially, Jasmine was very anxious, having not had a great experience at school and having left education with no formal qualifications. Jasmine thought that �ײ���Ƶ may have more patience and a smaller, quieter class to settle her in. She signed up in the hope of gaining some qualifications and work experience. Jasmine’s dream job was to work with children, but she was unsure if this would ever become a reality.��

Jasmine struggled with her confidence for the first few weeks, something that was quickly picked up by her tutors who then ensured regular check-ins to monitor her progress and assist her in building her confidence and relationships with her peers.����

With time and support Jasmine came into her own and quickly progressed in the programme, moving into a main classroom with a skills tutor by the end of her stint with Get Ready.��

Jasmine pushed herself, progressing a few weeks later to the Advancement strand of her programme and securing a work placement in her dream role within a primary school.����

Talking of Jasmine’s success, Becky Jones, �ײ���Ƶ’s Jobs Growth Wales + Learning Coach, said: “Jasmine has done so well and it is a pleasure to her have in class and in centre. Feedback from placement has also been very positive.”��

Jasmine said: “When I first started at �ײ���Ƶ I was not very confident in myself. However, with the help of the staff, my confidence increased. I feel that I’m a happier person now compared to when I started. This is because of the help that I received from the staff at �ײ���Ƶ and the fact that they believed in me and didn’t let me give up.”��

“Lucy has since gone from strength to strength. She had a new hearing aid a few months ago and this has helped her to move forward, make friends and enjoy all the activities on offer.

For Jobs Growth Wales + learner Millie it was a case of watching brick-laying videos online and thinking ‘let’s give that a try’.��

Millie came to �ײ���Ƶ after a challenging time at school, where she undertook her Multi Skilled Construction qualification. But it wasn’t plain sailing from the start.��

“In the beginning I sat around doing very little because I was nervous,” she explains. “Then my tutor sat me down in his office and said ‘do you actually want to do this because if you do you have to put the work in. It was the kick I needed to get on with it. Since then, I have been brick-laying every day and learning the craft.”��

While brick-laying was the main topic of interest for Millie while working towards her qualification at �ײ���Ƶ, she has since joined contractors Direct Maintenance on placement, and has had to get to grips with a number of new skills.��

“With them I do rendering, plastering, cutting plasterboard and wood,” she said. “I like doing bathroom and kitchen jobs because it’s amazing to see the difference from the before to the after.”��

Despite being the only female in the team, Millie was quick to find her feet within the team, with them ensuring that accommodations such as suitable bathroom facilities were put in place.��

“I love my colleagues,” Millie said. “They’re funny and they’ve commented that I’m reliable. I show up every day and I am in the spot where I have to meet them on time. I will also try anything, I enjoy the work. They’ve been very accommodating.”��

Millie’s tutor, Ian Rees, has seen her development throughout the JGW+ journey. He said: “Since joining us at �ײ���Ƶ, Millie has excelled in both her construction skills and personal confidence. Millie’s brickwork skills are of a very high standard and along the way, with each assessment passed and each goal reached, her confidence has grown and grown.����

“As part of her course she has completed her CSCS training and test where she had to answer 45 out of 50 questions correctly about health & safety within construction. This was a massive confidence boost for Millie and on a personal note, as her tutor, I was extremely proud of her especially knowing how hard she had studied for it.”��

So far, Millie has completed her Level 1 award and certificate as part of her Multi Skilled Construction course. She is now working on her essential skills where she has completed her Application of Numbers, and is currently finishing her City & Guilds Level 2 Essential Communication Skills. She is hoping to continue her learning within her placement company.��

Asked if she had any words of advice for someone, particularly other women, looking to pursue a career in construction, Millie said: “Just do it and don’t let the boys put you down, some of them tried to with me and I was better than them. Just keep going and just ignore them. If you want it you just need to put the work in.”��

Heledd met with �ײ���Ƶ’s Managing Director, Richard Spear, during her visit to discuss the organisation’s commitment to work-based learning and development.

Heledd took a tour of the Jobs Growth Wales+ Programme with Leon Patnett, Head of Youth Engagement & Training, to see firsthand the incredible opportunities �ײ���Ƶ is providing to young people.

Heledd also met with Ukrainian learners along with their Learning Coach, Diana Oleksiuk, to hear about the successes they have achieved despite being uprooted due to the ongoing conflict.

Talking previously about her journey as a refugee, Diana said: “It has been a really difficult time for all of us, but I do also believe that it should be a time for opportunity and to show our young people in Ukraine different cultures and improve their language skills too.

“It’s been really great to be able to do something productive with my time here and find a role (within �ײ���Ƶ) that enables me to put my skills to use in such an appropriate and effective way, and to be able to contribute practically to the lives of others around me who are all living the same experience.”

Heledd also had the opportunity to meet with Bethan Maund, Head of Apprenticeships, to learn more about how upskilling and work-based training can be transformative not only for individual organisations but the larger professional landscape of Wales, particularly during increasing concerns about the country’s skills gap.

Bethan Maund said: “It was fantastic to welcome Heledd Fychan to �ײ���Ƶ and for her to hear firsthand the positive impact work-based learning and apprenticeships have on our learners. We hope she came away as inspired as we are from their success stories.”

Heledd Fychan MS said: “I was really impressed by my visit to �ײ���Ƶ and enjoyed seeing first-hand the incredible work that they do to break down barriers for young people across Wales and to put them on the best possible path for the future.

“From the wide variety of apprenticeship schemes they run to supporting young Ukrainian refugees settle in Wales and everything else in between, �ײ���Ƶ are undoubtedly a model for how things could and should be done to ensure greater opportunities for all young people.”

There is no set end goal for JGW+ learners but many go on to undertake further apprenticeships and gain more advanced skills in their chosen profession.

One learner who began his journey with a Level 1 course in Hairdressing and Barbering and is now finding his feet at a salon placement, while completing his Level 2 apprenticeship in Hairdressing, is 19-year-old Talek Milne.

Talek found his passion for hairstyling during lockdown, watching videos online, although he had always been interested in the creative side of the profession as well as the ability to make customers happy.

Throughout his journey Talek has had to overcome one of the biggest hurdles many young learners have to face in the beginning – confidence. It is something that has improved massively throughout his course, particularly when it comes to his shyness. Talek believes this improvement is due to the natural environment of the role and having to speak to people – after all hairdressing is probably one of the most social careers out there.

Another boost to Talek’s confidence has come through fortnightly workshops provided by �ײ���Ƶ. The workshops give apprenticeship learners the chance to work alongside tutors to hone their skills in a more practical setting. It is a great space to ask questions, practice new methods and receive validation for the skills they have already gained.

Progressing from Level 1 to Level 2 has meant added responsibilities for Talek, especially now that he has been given a placement in a salon. Looking to the future, he is keen to broaden his colour skills, particularly when it comes to applying bold shades and designs.

Hairdressing assessor Helen Jenkins, who has overseen Talek’s progress, said: “Talek’s confidence has come on so much since he started – from hiding in the back room and not giving me eye contact to now being at the front of the salon. He’s really come out of his shell.

“To support Talek we ensured he had the right tools – something as simple as left-handed scissors made all the difference.��And now that he’s armed with that there’s no stopping him. He has come on leaps and bounds and I’m very proud of him.”

Find out more about �ײ���Ƶ’s hairdressing qualification here.

Childcare assessor, Christie Davies, began her learning journey when she enrolled with Jobs Growth Wales aged eighteen, she is now celebrating her appointment as a tutor within the same department.��

Christie left school to find an apprenticeship after missing exams due to a number of personal setbacks. She found an advertisement for a childcare placement and was able to get financial help for her travel back and forth between her home in Barry and her work placement in Taffs Well.��

She said: “I finished my Level 2 CCLD (Children’s Care, Play, Learning & Development) and progressed through to Level 3 and then Playwork.��

“I later moved from nurseries to schools as I wanted a more varied understanding of children’s development. I looked again to �ײ���Ƶ to gain my STLS (Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools) Level 3 qualification.��

“All qualifications were supported by my fantastic tutors who understood that I just wanted to get on and would gladly send me work early as requested and give me extra visits if required.”��

After completing four qualifications with �ײ���Ƶ, Christie was able to gain her HLTA (Higher Level Teaching Assistant) status with the Central South Consortium.������

Christie added: “The qualifications provided me with a wealth of teaching experience, I now hope this will all help me in my new role in �ײ���Ƶ and that I can pass on the support I had.��

“The most rewarding part of the role for me is the ability to give back the opportunities I’ve had. My advice to anyone going into childcare would be to have fun. If you are enthusiastic and love your job then every day will be great. But also, be organised, keep your reports and paperwork up to date and remember to keep the children’s best interests at heart. If you want something more – always fight for it.”��

Looking to the future, Christie is keen not to rest on her laurels, despite her extensive achievements.��

She said: “I currently work voluntarily as a first aid instructor for the sea cadets. I hope to amalgamate the roles and support the teaching and assessing of first aid for those working in childcare but to do that I think I would need the Level 3 Teaching and Development qualification first.”��

If you’re looking to kickstart your childcare career you can find our courses and opportunities here.��