Construction Youth Trust started working with Samuel as part of its Building Opportunities programme in Lewisham. From the start Samuel knew he wanted to find a hands-on role that he would both enjoy and be able to progress in; he hadn’t enjoyed education and felt this would better suit his skill set. When he started working with his coach, he was keen to start the process of looking for a role as soon as possible. To enable this, his coach focused his 1-2-1 sessions on developing his employability skills.

Through working closely with his coach, Samuel’s confidence grew, and he proved himself to be a responsible young man, throwing himself into sessions. Samuel’s coach soon felt confident that he was work-ready and in a strong position to be able to start applying for roles.

When an opportunity for a dry lining apprenticeship with one of Construction Youth Trust’s employer-partners came along, Samuel’s coach suggested he apply for the position. His coach helped him to research the role and investigate the career progression opportunities the role could offer to see if it matched Samuel’s aspirations. After some initial doubts, Samuel decided to apply. His coach helped to prepare answers to possible interview questions and also conducted a mock interview to help him boost his confidence and get ready for the real thing.

Samuel attended the interview and made a fantastic impression – and the rest is history! Samuel started his apprenticeship just three months after joining our programme, and we are excited to follow his progress.

*Name and photo have been changed to ensure confidentiality of the young person.

Building Opportunities is an intensive coaching programme for disadvantaged young people who are NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) or at-risk of becoming NEET. Our programme targets the very hardest-to-reach and most vulnerable young people in our Lambeth hub and encourages them to take positive next steps towards rewarding work suited to their individual abilities and interests.