Our Impact

Read more about the numbers of people we have supported and the impact this has had.

The work we do makes a difference and we are happy that we can help people to create positive change in their lives. Through our person-centred approach, we are able to support people to make the small changes which lead to big impact. We know that having the confidence and belief that you can achieve your goals is the first step to success.

As we provide support to people at all different stages and in many different situations, this difference can't always be measured easily. That's why we are grateful to receive such wonderful testimonials from the people who we support. With our holistic employability support hundreds of people are also going on to achieve their goals and aspirations, entering or re-entering work and/or education and training.

Margaret

I wanted to join the customer service programme to understand a bit more about customer service, as this is important in any job. My tutor (Julie) was caring, upstanding and she worked very well with us all. My tutor was always there and happy to help. I believe my experience with WELL Training has been great. The group session was good, and we all worked well together as a team. I enjoyed meeting everyone. The programme has made me more aware of new skills that I may need in any job. It has also made me more confident and shown me that customer satisfaction is important to allow a business to improve. I would 100% recommend this programme to anyone thinking of working with WELL Training. It is a good programme; I found the sessions very interesting and I do believe I have achieved a lot.

"The support I had from WELL Training was amazing and I truly enjoyed every minute of the training."

Andrew

Andrew had been in and out of work for several months. Having experienced many personal setbacks he felt that his main barrier now was using the required digital devices, and that this was the reason for him not being able to maintain employment. He needed one to one support to be able to job search, update his CV and to gain basic knowledge with I.T including boosting his confidence to use it. Andrew was given face to face support by Access to Business (A2B) on how to access a variety of sites and to upload his CV to job site profiles. He was supported with basic Excel and Microsoft and his confidence grew with more use, until he eventually felt comfortable in independently job searching using the A2B computers. Andrew applied for a role of FLT/Storeman at a company based in Oldbury. This role was something that he had experience with in the past and did include the use of stock control systems via a computer. He felt that his skills had improved and that he could apply himself to the role. He was pleased to be offered an interview in Oldbury and we talked through up to date interview skills and how to present himself in a positive manner. A short while later Andrew was offered the job on a full time basis. He was over the moon at this result – and was very grateful for the help and support that he had received through the BCF Project.

"I.T really scared me and being supported to job search boosted my confidence. I’m now working again and life is on the up!!"

Priya

Priya came to the UK from Italy a few months ago. She worked in Italy as an interpreter and other roles including care assistant, nursery assistant and refugee support worker. She has achieved her health and social care certificate and cultural linguistic-mediator/interpreter certificates in Italy. She came to TLC College for support with searching/applying for work online. She had an Italian CV which was translated to English and created to reflect her recent education and employment. She was supported with applying for various roles online. She was also volunteering in informal sessions through TLC College at Dunstall Hill Community Centre. She enjoyed the experience of gaining some work experience and being able to help other learners. Within a month Priya secured a job as a care assistant in Tettenhall, Wolverhampton. She was very happy to secure employment as she had been looking for a while.

"I am really very thankful to you and TLC College for this journey of learning and searching job"

Leah

My Work Coach at Job Centre referred me to Ideal for all for Support in July 2023. I felt as though I had lost what little confidence I had as I was constantly getting knock backs from employers. I had also recently been diagnosed and was waiting for the report to come back outlining test results. I found the project staff were really friendly and listened to what I had to say. They were very supportive of me wanting to get into a finance and accounting role and even helped me to find an accounting course at Dudley College. I surprised myself with attending the enrolment day on my own! Of course I was nervous, but looking back now I am glad I pushed myself to do this. I quickly learned I could do whatever I put my mind to and saw my confidence grow. I flourished more and more at every appointment and could finally start to think about my future. I turned a corner after Christmas knowing that my AAT Finance qualification was nearing the end. I asked for support to create a CV so that I could document everything I had done. I felt more at ease with job searching and applying for jobs and not hearing back had less of an effect on me than before. I have now returned to working part time as a receptionist until I have finished my course then intend to look at full time opportunities, ideally with an element of finance attached.

"I am so happy to be back at work and soon to be finishing my finance course. I feel like I have got my life back on track."

Faith

Faith started her journey on the BCF project in April 2023, she felt lost and unsure of which direction to take. She felt low in confidence and socially excluded. She came across the BCF project and met Terri who explained how the project could support her overcome her barriers. Faith felt apprehensive about joining the project and felt unsure and anxious, she decided to give the BCF project a go, to gain support. Faith began to attend her 1.2.1 appointments and gained trust as Terri started to work on building her confidence to leave her house and arranged to meet her for walks and to visit the local supermarkets. Faith was overwhelmed and proud of herself that she took that step and began to gain confidence within herself. The team continued to work towards Faith goals and discussed her next steps as she felt ready for the next chapter. We began to build a CV and identified that part of Faith’s past employment history was in a pharmacy as a dispenser and was qualified. We began to look at voluntary positions as she felt she had lost confidence. She successfully gained a voluntary position in a pharmacy. It was amazing to see Faith gain so much confidence and see her wellbeing increase. The team also supported Faith by giving her a laptop as she wanted to gain IT skills.

Faith successfully gained employment at the pharmacy following working as a volunteer. She is now working as a dispenser, and we are so proud of her.

"Your encouragement gave me the confidence to overcome my barriers."

Viktoriia

Viktoriia arrived in England, and every step on this new path was a trial. Language barriers, lack of self-confidence, unfamiliarity with local customs, and social isolation made adaptation to her new life here more difficult. But she didn't give up. Within the "UK-CAN" project, Viktoriia found support and the opportunity to help others. With each passing day, her confidence grew. Following her involvement with the project, she volunteered on the JST, UK-CAN project, overcoming obstacles faced by other participants. Viktoriia organised meetings, supported group activities and researched and assisted with courses and employment for women. Her involvement became invaluable to everyone in need. With each new event, Viktoriia became more confident. She mastered English to the point where she understood and communicated effectively. Services and benefits for her and her family in England no longer seemed out of reach. Viktoriia looked to the future optimistically, knowing she had overcome many obstacles and laid a solid foundation for her new life and her family. JST went on to fund the costs of transferring her degree qualifications in Business Management to the UK equivalent. This supports her career opportunities and ensures she has the optimum chance of securing suitable paid employment.

"It has been a very worthwhile experience volunteering with the project and contributing back to a project which has helped me."

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We know that for most people, being able to find work or increase their chances of gaining sustainable employment is crucial in helping them build independent, stable lives. Since 2021 we have collaborated on projects which supported and achieved:

1,970

Black Country Residents

334

Into Meaningful Training

300

Into Employment

Outcomes

Our participants include people impacted by loneliness and isolation, mental ill health, drug and alcohol misuse, poor physical health, unemployment, low skills and qualifications, and those who have experienced or are at risk of homelessness.

Therefore, our projects are not just about employment and training. We help people to make positive progress, deal with issues and crises, and build resilience and strong foundations, which will help them to change their futures for the better.

Of those we have supported:

1142

feel more confident

1068

feel more optimistic about the future

1054

say their self-esteem has increased

1068

feel more positive about their wellbeing

1119

feel more confidence in accessing services by themselves

1073

have become more motivated to search and apply for work

Black Country Futures Project Final Report

In this report you can read more about the impact of our most recently completed project and the people it helped. You can also read some amazing participant case studies, and find out what we have delivered to support those in need.