Case Study

I moved to Edinburgh in December 2021. As a full-time parent, with my youngest child now in school, I started to look for jobs. But at 40 and unemployed, my confidence was really low and I was unsure how to move forward. After eight months without success, I started to look for employment support and upskilling courses near me, and that’s when I found Access to Industry’s Access Progress service.

The support that I received was 10/10 – help identifying myself in a career aspect, goal setting, CV makeover, customising personal statements, job searches that match my skill set. My Caseworker encouraged me not to settle for a job where my experience can offer a lot more. That sure was a confidence booster!

Interviews makes me nervous, so they arranged a mock interview for me to practice. I left with really helpful and practical suggestions, without making me feel uncomfortable or discredited. Unbiased, non-judgemental, two-way communication. There’s respect in our conversation. Support that’s sincere. I’ve appreciated the part where it goes “let’s make this work and let’s put all this into action TOGETHER”. It made the impact.

Now I am happy to share that I’ll soon be starting my new job. I am also currently enrolled with Edinburgh College’s Introduction to Data Science course through Access to Industry. I intend to complete the course and I hope to pursue further courses afterwards. As much effort as I’ve put in myself, Access to Industry has played a big role in where I am today in my employment and career journey.

I hope that my story can inspire people who are in a similar position to be motivated to take that first leap. Everyone is capable of amazing things, the question is how are we going to make it happen. Most often that little tug is all that we need to get things going. Some might need a push to get things done, I needed the pull to get back on track. Determination, dedication, discipline, and believing in yourself… I encourage you to go for it!

More information on our Access Progress service for unemployed parents can be found here.
And information on the Courses that we offer is here.