Career Hub reaches new heights
From the ground floor of our office in Vauxhall to the sky garden of PA Consulting’s office in Victoria, our most recent Career Hub reached new heights. Not only literally, but also in a new collaboration with volunteers.
Looking for a job can be overwhelming, but what about navigating a job search after prison?
Volunteers from PA Consulting supported our first job searching workshop at a recent Career Hub, which was brilliantly hosted at their office in Victoria. Career Hub is a monthly event, where people we work with can come together to access support, connect with inclusive employers, and get practical help with their job search and career development. Usually held at StandOut’s office, this event was the second held offsite.
Employer talks were given by Breakthrough and Kilnbridge. Breakthrough was represented by Mia and StandOut graduate, Ahmed, who spoke about how Breakthrough have supported him into a career in tech - and shared his experiences of life after prison. Then, Darryl from Kilnbridge presented on careers in construction and engineering, giving the men attending an insight into a range of jobs across different sectors.
After lunch, we began the job search workshop. Each attendee was paired with a PA Consulting volunteer, who worked with them to agree on a plan for the session, look for jobs and opportunities, and decide on the next steps they would take.
Some of the men were looking for work, some for training opportunities - and some, inspired by the employer talks, were now exploring careers they had not considered before. After some focused discussions, the group gathered back together to share feedback. Volunteers shared any final advice or feedback, and the person they supported shared their reflections:
"We drew up a seriously banging CV - hand on heart, it's the best CV I have ever had. I feel a lot more confident."
"I'm really happy that this is pushing me forward."
"I've learned about the importance of connections and making use of them. StandOut are a connection I am using."
"Today was really useful. I had my own ideas coming in but I found out some really useful things, worked on my CV and my next steps are to chase up some opportunities and take on some advice for boosting my CV."
A few days after the event, we received an update from one of the men who attended. He’d been confirmed on a project management course, found by his PA Consulting volunteer at the workshop.
The day had a positive impact on both attendees and volunteers - and we’re looking forward to building upon the successes of the day by running future workshops and offsite Career Hubs. Thank you to PA Consulting, Breakthrough, and Kilnbridge for supporting us to deliver such an impactful event.
