Marshall believed he would never be able to gain full-time employment due to having additional needs and being from within the care system.
Marshall is a Senior Club and Inclusion member at HideOut Youth Zone.
Marshall believed he would never be able to gain full-time employment due to having additional needs and being from within the care system.
However, since joining HideOut, Marshall has gained lots of confidence and has become a regular at the Youth Zone – not only at HideOut’s Sunday Club (Inclusion) sessions, but throughout the week at HideOut’s universal sessions.
Marshall said his favourite thing to do at HideOut was cooking and art, and he really enjoy meeting other young people too.
The Inclusion team helped Marshall to develop his transferable skills and his social skills, and Marshall would regularly engage with Sunday Cub Socials (a monthly day trip dedicated to tackling struggles with interaction, communication and confidence in social situations).
Marshall also successfully took part in HideOut’s ‘Figure-Out Challenge’. This was a six-week project for Inclusion members which aimed to develop important life skills. The group had the opportunity to meal plan, work within a budget, go to the local shops to purchase their ingredients, and then cook their meal.
To develop himself further, Marshall began volunteering at the Youth Zone as a Young Leader, where he dedicated his time to supporting others at HideOut.
Since building his confidence, Marshall worked with HideOut’s Employability and Enterprise Coordinator, Laura, to join an Employability programme.
Marshall applied for the HATCH programme.
Hatch is an employment readiness programme delivered in partnership with UK Youth and The KFC Foundation aimed at young people aged 16 to 25 who are ready to enter the workplace but just need a little extra support. Participants complete pre-employability workshops with Greater Manchester Youth Network (GMYN), and then 4 weeks of paid work experience (16 hours per week) at KFC or another employer. Participants are paid for their placement and have the opportunity to have a real interview at KFC which can lead to employment.
Marshall and Laura worked together to prepare for the programme, which included creating and developing Marshall’s CV, practicing interview questions and general preparation for the world of work.
Marshall was successful in gaining a place on the programme, and since completing the course has gained employment!
“After the 4 week program, I was offered a permanent position with KFC and have not looked back.”
HideOut spoke to Marshall to reflect on his achievements and his plans for the future:
“I would like to carry on achieving in my job, I am still at college as well as work but in the near future I would like to focus on only my work and work full time. I would like to continue improving my independence.”
Congratulations Marshall.
If you are a young person looking for employability support, please contact Laura.Dawson@hideoutyouthzone.org
