Learner Blog

How simple is it?

Have you ever sat there and gave up looking and applying for jobs? Me too…

After sitting there day to day looking at job sites and applying for as many as I could, I finally gave up applying and hoped that someone would come to me to offer me a job or at least a trial for a vacancy.

But then realisation set in…

YOU… yes you… the person reading this, you must go out and make full use of the training and opportunities that are on offer. I signed up with my local Jobcentre Plus hoping to gain access to a wide range of job vacancies and really put myself out there. After looking at some of the vacancies on offer and attending job clubs my advisor offered me the chance to take part in some work ready training which guaranteed me an interview with an employer. This was when I first come across Antrec!

Antrec offer FULLY FUNDED… yes, I know FULLY FUNDED training courses to those aged 19 or older, plus a chance to have an interview with an employer after completing a training course. This was like Christmas for me, I immediately looked up Antrec, carried out some research on what courses were on offer and how I could personally benefit from using a service like this. That day I completed research, was the day I finally started to dream of getting back into work and gaining employment.

I looked at the courses Antrec offered, and to be perfectly honest with you, I was interested in all of the courses. Each course offered a pathway into employability, as well as a job it also offered me the chance to gain qualifications and skills that I would need and use in the future.

After much deliberation, I decided to apply for the Taxi Employability programme to gain my Taxi VRQ qualification, the course was 10 days long, provided me with funding to apply for my badge, carry out a medical and process my DBS. It also gave me the chance to become my own boss, pick and choose hours I wanted to work whilst still providing an income.

When I first visited Antrec I felt nervous as I needed to complete a basic functional skills assessment to make sure I was eligible to start training. After meeting the people at Antrec, who were so kind and helpful, I completed my assessment, filled in the required paperwork and was given a start date for my Taxi Employability training course.

When I started training I made a conscious effort to make sure I understood everything that the tutor ran through. I made sure to take notes and asked any questions when I didn’t quite understand what the tutor was saying. Overall the tutors at Antrec were very helpful, they always had time to give people extra help if they did not understand something and made a real effort to get along so well with the learners.

After 10 days of training I successfully passed all my exams meaning that I had earned my Taxi VRQ and could go to my council of choice and apply for a taxi badge. Antrec offered support and guidance to complete my application, the experience and knowledge of the Caseload Managers really shone through. Even when I was on the road my Caseload Manager contacted me weekly just to check how things were going. Without the support and reassurance, it would have been easy for me to give up at certain stages of the training and application process.

I would recommend using Antrec to anyone who is currently unemployed and trying to get back into work. In my case I had been unemployed for a while, from my first visit to the offices Antrec really gave me the focus and determination to get back into work. I knew that if I attended training and worked hard then there was a realistic chance of getting a job at the end of it. I am now a fully licensed private hire driver, I set my own hours and can now afford to do the things that I couldn’t before when I was unemployed. Antrec has really helped me change my outlook on life and I couldn’t thank them enough!

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