I was previously working at British Airways and had been unemployed nearly a year. I have never been someone who can just stay at home, I like to be at work. I was informed about the course from my family support liaison at the job centre and they referred me to Strive training. I was interested in the course as it was going to help me prepare to get back in to work.

I took the Employability – CS SWAP course. It was quite new at the time; however I was interested as I knew it would support me. Even though I was not under any pressure to attend a course or get back to work, I really wanted to join Strive and complete a course.

I liked learning remotely, because my daughter was at nursery – so it worked out well around my childcare. It gave me flexibility and meant that I could work around childcare. It was so much easier. Learning remotely also boosted my confidence, if I would have had to go into a classroom I think I would have been too nervous as I had not been at work for a while.

Being able to join Strive remotely was a perfect option for me.

During the course, my tutor Jonathan, helped me to recognise what I have not utilised when writing my CV.  This helped me out a lot, as I hadn’t written a CV in a while.

Thanks to the preparation I did with Strive, my application for a DWP Work Coach position was really strong. The aftercare Strive gave me was amazing, I had a 1:1 session with Charley which really helped and supported me further through the video interview stage. I was really scared about them and having that extra support really helped boost my confidence and made me feel reassured.

I also really enjoyed receiving the weekly Job Bulletin, it helped me stay motivated knowing that there are other roles available outside of the Civil Service. The set up and structure of the course was really good. I was able to start really quickly, I confirmed my spot on Friday and started on Monday.

When a West London work coach opportunity came up, I applied. It was a little while after my Strive course, however I found it really helpful that I could still access my Strive content, through the EmployabilityPlus portal to help with my application.

I would definitely recommend Strive Training. Being able to be part of a virtual environment on the course and speaking to others in my group, especially during Lockdown was fantastic!

Also, my tutor, Jonathan was a really great. He was friendly, patient, funny and would ensure to spend time with us individually. We were all valued and respected one another.

There was no issue around childcare and everyone was understanding of my needs.

The DWP process did take a long time but Strive reassured me throughout the process. I really appreciated the support I received, so much so that I enrolled on another course.

Joining Strive was the best thing I have ever done, it gave me amazing opportunities and great confidence!