Suzzi has completed the City of Edinburgh Council’s (CEC) Job Creation Scheme (JCS) and progressed into full-time employment. She speaks about her journey below.
How did you find out about the programme?
I was quite lucky and found an advert for the scheme through a Facebook ad.
What were your expectations of the programme?
I didn’t know fully what to expect – I just knew the idea of the programme was to help people who were out of work and had barriers. It explained that I would receive support to reskill and retrain. I wanted to access new opportunities, and the Edinburgh Guarantee seemed like they could offer that.
Did you have any personal or professional goals coming into the placement?
I wanted to learn new skills and find employment. I felt that I was at a crossroads in my life, and I wanted to have my own home, build a career, and make other changes. I wanted this placement to have a positive impact on my mental health.
How long were you on the placement for?
I was on the placement for four months before landing a job and worked for one more month while I awaited my start date.
Tell us about your new job.
I now have a permanent role as a Business Support Administrator for Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership. I applied to a lot of jobs but was unsuccessful for a month or so. With motivation and support from my JCS caseworker, I kept on trying until finally getting a result!
What did your learning journey look like?
Before starting the placement, I had been unemployed for over six years and felt as if I wouldn’t be able to do the job. Thanks to the support from the JCS and CEC as a whole, I quickly found my feet and felt more confident in myself and my abilities. I had some basic admin skills, and these were quickly developed by a supportive network of colleagues. I was given time to complete CEC internal training, as well as being funded to complete the ICDL (International Computer Driving Licence).
Why would you encourage others to apply to the Job Creation Scheme?
It is a great opportunity to learn from others, learn new skills or be reskilled. CEC offer flexible working policies, and understanding your barriers, making accommodations as they want you to progress into employment. This programme allowed me to build a future career path, rather than just providing me with a job. I am now on a journey working for CEC in an admin role-a journey that is only beginning.
What can you do now that you couldn’t do before?
I have learned a lot about databases and Excel. I have more confidence to know that I can learn things quickly and adapt to new situations. I feel confident problem solving – when I first started, I felt like I had to ask for clarification on the tiniest things that deviated from the procedures I was following, but as time went on, I felt free to act independently and with confidence, using my own initiative.
