Success stories

Name: Laura

Current job position: Countryside Ranger – Volunteering in Parks, Lampton 360 Greenspace

Laura has been retrained in Practical Countryside Habitat Management and Ecology for two years. Before she engaged with Work Hounslow, she looked for her first job as a Countryside Ranger, had several job interviews but no job offers.

'I had a several meetings with Work Hounslow’s employment advisor who has been really friendly and helpful. The support was first rate. The advisor got to know me and understood what I was looking for and gave me lots of support and encouraged me to join the Green Skills Bootcamp.

Sometimes when you’re trying to break into a new industry and get your first job it can feel daunting and isolating. This bootcamp removed that feeling and provided the encouraging environment to get through it with a team and to finally secure the job I was looking for.

I loved the two weeks of training from Patrick at Maydencroft Ltd. He has spent a lifetime in the Green Skills sector and had some brilliant stories, and was very patient, funny and encouraging.

The bootcamp helped my confidence – I realised that I had the ecology knowledge and habitat management experience to be applying for the jobs I wanted – that I deserved to be in the room.

Also, the classroom training like the Oak Processionary Moth training and the Health and Safety Training on working at height and near water was fascinating, and a lot of it was new for me. The content was very considered, common sense and practical and it helped me a lot to then go on and pass my CSCS Health and Safety courses the following week, so I can work on construction sites.’

Name: Olga Dudnik

Current job position: Ukraine Volunteering and Engagement Coordinator at Ealing and Hounslow Community and Voluntary Service

Olga resettled in the UK from Ukraine under the government’s Homes for Ukraine Scheme in May 2022 and moved to Hounslow.

Despite moving to a new country, she continued working remotely for an energy company DTEK in Ukraine as a senior manager in the education and technology division. Every day, she spent up to eight hours on conference calls with her colleagues, but she felt she was missing out on integrating into UK culture.

‘I was working remotely and felt isolated. I appreciated Leonie, my employment advisor, for her advice on volunteering, as I have been involved in volunteering all my life and enjoy contributing to the community.

I chose the ‘Walk and Talk’ project after meeting with staff from Ealing and Hounslow Community and Voluntary Service (EHCVS). They introduced me to various projects, and I decided to lead this one because I love walking, nature, and it was a great opportunity to practise my English in a multicultural environment. In November 2022, my group had six people from two different countries. By September 2023, it had grown to 80 people from nine countries.

I frequently sought advice from my employment advisor. When a vacancy opened at EHCVS for a project developing a support network for Ukrainian infrastructure, she helped me prepare for my first interview. She guided me when I received the first job offer from EHCVS.

I successfully developed the Ukrainian Project to the point where I was offered a full-time contract, and once again, my employment advisor helped me with a difficult decision to leave my job in Ukraine. We also discussed the pathways for advancing my career here in the UK.

Having a professional like Leonie to support, advise, and guide you in the right direction is invaluable.’

In addition, Olga made significant progress in her English language skills by attending courses such as English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and Functional Skills Entry Level 2 at Learn Hounslow, a provider of adult and community Education for Hounslow residents.

Willmott Dixon, the UK’s leading property builder and contractor, has been a Disability Confident Employer. .

Martine Corbett, Senior Social Value Manager at Willmott Dixon, said construction has an array of job opportunities for Hounslow residents who may face barriers to employment, allowing them to build their careers within the sector. She said:

‘More often than not, people overlook the fact that careers in the construction sector are incredibly diverse. Typically, people’s perceptions and media portrayal lead to the assumption that the sector is only about trades, however there are over 150 roles in construction. From support roles such as human resources, marketing, health and safety, finance, social value and sustainability, through to pre-construction roles including estimating, planning, design, digital engineering, bid submissions, quantity surveying and then roles out on site, which include roles within our supply chain, these are the roles that are more often considered when thinking of careers in construction.

The company run many programmes to support people facing barriers to work into sustainable careers. Work experience and enrichment programme are delivered to students attending a wide range of schools and colleges and this includes SEND schools.

The Willmott Dixon Building Lives Academy offers work experience, training and qualifications to adults that may have been long term unemployed and to young people that may not be in employment, education or training.

The company has also organised affinity groups, which includes a disability affinity group, where staff can share their voices to improve general awareness of disability issues and to ensure that staff of all backgrounds and abilities have the right tools to succeed at work.

As a disability confident employer, we encourage everyone to think differently about disability and take action to improve how we recruit, retain and develop people with disabilities. The Disability Confident scheme can support employers to break down barriers and challenges of disability, enabling them to make the most of the talents of people, including disabled people.

Employers must create an environment where difference is embraced, inclusion and diversity to enhance the workplace, creating an environment where individuals from all backgrounds and abilities can develop their potential and thrive.’

Read the full story of Willmott Dixon and its participation in Hounslow Council’s event to celebrate United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities in 2023 here

Video link: https://youtu.be/-ciA2zN_vUQ

AJAR Technology based in Brentford, is an international system integrator specialising in physical security, audio, visual and specialised integrated solutions for public sector and private businesses. The company has been recruiting young people and experienced professionals across the country to join their apprenticeships programmes.

Tara, Sales and Marketing Manager, shared some advice for employers who are considering hiring apprentices:

‘As a result of the pandemic, employers are worried that young people who have been learning remotely might not feel confident to come straight to workplace or might prefer not to work around with other people.

Employers can manage expectations with apprentices, explaining what the role would look like and what would suit for the apprentice and your business. If you are an SME or a small business, you can involve apprentices in all sorts of things. Young people would know way more about technology and different types of communications than older generations. We all start somewhere. None of us are born knowing everything. Employers who want to build their businesses cannot do it on their own.”

Tara emphasised that apprentices could enhance business operations and respond to clients’ needs efficiently.

One of the engineer apprentices, Alex, has completed the programme in September 2023. He has now taken up a senior commissioning engineer role and has recently completed a project for a client in Amsterdam.

Apart from apprenticeships, the company has organised T-Level placements and work experiences for students. They want to encourage more young people to learn more about the sector and the different career options and goals associated with it.

Read the full story of AJAR Technology's apprenticeship programme here