27/10/2021

Eleanor joined Skills2Achieve (Eastleigh centre) in May and completed the short 8-week programme. She initially presented as being very anxious about travelling to the Skills2Achieve centre and meeting new people and identified early on that she would benefit from a work experience placement.

With this in mind, the team organised a placement for Eleanor at the RCS Community Pantry, operating just one floor down from the S2A centre. As well as being an ideal location to balance both S2A studies and work, this presented as a perfect opportunity for Eleanor to apply her recently acquired qualification in L2 Food Hygiene.

Eleanor felt that her anxiety would be a barrier to her completing her placement and was nervous about attending to members of the public. With support from her mum and S2A tutor, Hannah, Eleanor attended a taster session and successfully completed a trial shift which she really enjoyed and, thanks to Natalie, Manager at Eastleigh Community Pantry, felt welcome and supported.

Eleanor did so well in fact that they signed her up for a regular volunteering slot on a Friday! She has also agreed to fill in for staff sickness and other absences, demonstrating her motivation to take a big step towards the world of work and the confidence she is gaining from the experience. 

Eleanor said “I feel relaxed in the new environment. I have been stocking shelves, assisting customers with their food choices, and discussing recipe options. I have also been trusted to process payments and greet people as they come in. I have enjoyed getting out more and it has given me structure to my week”.

“I have enjoyed getting out more and it has given me structure to my week”

Her tutor Hannah said, “Her confidence has grown massively in the time she has spent at S2A and, with this placement running alongside her studies, we are sure she will go from strength to strength!”

Well done Eleanor and we look forward to hearing about more future successes.

---

Have you been inspired by Eleanor’s story? Contact S2A at [email protected] or see Skills2Achieve for more information. The S2A team are currently accepting applications for the new year so we’d love to hear from you!

CONTACT S2A

---

 Previous article                                                                                                                             Next article