Caitlyn* hoped the Training for Work programme would give her the opportunity to gain the qualifications and work experience she needed for her college application. 

When Caitlyn started the programme she struggled with her mental health and confidence, but, with support from Move On staff, was able to slowly overcome these barriers. 

After completing sessions on presentation skills, Caitlyn had the confidence to attend a mock interview with our corporate partner Deloitte. Deloitte staff said that Caitlyn was “engaging, charismatic, and will go far with whatever path she chooses.”

Caitlyn has now been accepted to college to study psychology. She has also secured a part-time job alongside her studies. She says “I have gained a lot more confidence and trust in myself to open up and speak up in groups of people. It has been a safe space for me which I am grateful for. I have learned a lot about myself and how much strength I have to push myself to do the very best.”

*Name has been changed.

Kris had low skills, poor mental health, and very limited work experience when they signed up for Training for Work. As a trans male, Kris was also worried that they might feel judged or not accepted while on the programme.

We have included sessions on LGBT awareness as part of Training for Work, which Kris enjoyed and these helped them to feel more confident and assertive.

Kris was able to gain practical work experience through the programme, and by volunteering in our FareShare Glasgow and the West of Scotland warehouse. They felt that working with people of different backgrounds and ages was helpful to prepare for employment.

With the support of Move On, Kris has successfully applied for a place at college. They say “I feel my confidence has increased by bringing me out of my comfort zone… The tutors were helpful and I found their style very up my alley and it made the course more interesting.”

*Name has been changed.

Training for Work is part of an ambitious new employability training programme, All in Glasgow.

All in Glasgow brings together 17 charity partners to provide specialist support to 1,500 people facing challenging times to gain qualifications and opportunities that lead to long-term employment.

Scotland’s biggest third sector consortium, All in Glasgow supports people into work. The service includes three streams:

• Training for Work is for people looking for work and can also support those in work who are at risk of redundancy. The person may be disengaged from education or mainstream services, have a disability or mental health condition, have caring responsibilities, or be impacted by poverty. This is the stream that Move On delivers.
• Progress for Parents is a service specifically designed to help and support disabled parents who have children under 16 and who are not currently engaged with employment services. Find out more.
• Supported Employment is delivered exclusively by Enable Works, who work with employers to gain a better understanding of issues affecting disabled people, building their capacity to recruit from all sections of the community. Find out more.

The multi-charity partnership will ensure that those accessing any service can be signposted to another, more appropriate avenue without having to start the application process again or repeat a difficult-to-tell background story.