Joseph’s future looks bright after Empower Works support
24-year-old Joseph Davison is thriving in his new job after a successful work trial in a state-of-the-art factory.
Empower Works
Michelle's career and confidence take off
Michelle Tsang had almost everything she needed to get a good job when she graduated from Northumbria University.
She had an honours degree in animation and experience in customer service. But the crucial thing she lacked was confidence.
Michelle, 27, says: “I had really low self-esteem and imposter syndrome, so I just went for any job I could, and I ended up in customer service for about six years.
"I was interested in tech but never thought a career switch was possible. I was too scared to take the leap."
Five months later, she is about to start an apprenticeship in software development with LM Global Telecoms at their head office in Newcastle.
She credits her Employment Adviser Jenny Hynes for giving her that crucial ingredient – confidence. “Jenny really believed in me, and eventually I believed in myself,” Michelle says.
“She told me I could do this, and it still resonates with me. I hadn’t thought it was possible.”
Even though she had long thought she was neurodivergent, Michelle did not need a formal diagnosis to be eligible for the programme.
“I’m really grateful for that,” she says. “The waiting lists for diagnosis are very long, so to have that support and people be there for you anyway is invaluable.
"Katy Jones, the Employment Specialist who signed me up, immediately made me feel understood and comfortable. I felt like I could be myself, and it helped a lot."
Once she was enrolled on Empower Works, Michelle and Jenny had weekly meetings to discuss her ambitions, her skillset, her transferrable skills, and how she could explain them during an interview.
Michelle, who grew up in Northern Ireland and now lives in Wallsend, says: “It really helped that Jenny had hands-on experience of being a recruitment manager so she could tell me what employers were thinking. It made things like interviews less scary than I thought.”
"I would recommend Empower Works to anyone. It was absolutely fantastic and it gave me the confidence to get to this point."
Jenny, her Employment Adviser, adds: “Michelle can achieve anything she put her mind to, and only lacked confidence. It was a pleasure to work with her on that; once she believed it, she did the rest.”
Empower Works is Funded by UK Government with the North East Combined Authority as the lead authority.
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