European Social Fund in England
2007 - 2013
‘I now believe in my ability’
For many years Ganna’s lack of good qualifications and work experience have been significant barriers to her gaining employment. Last year, when her marriage ended, she was left homeless and without money.
Since then, she has gradually re-built her life by studying hard and achieving a series of qualifications, including literacy and numeracy level 2, Clait and ECDL. Her participation on the ESF Personal Best programme has contributed significantly to her achievements. She has moved from being a shy and quiet person to a confident volunteer who is now well prepared for job opportunities.
As an initial step Ganna joined Peabody’s Skills for Life programme and quickly showed improvement in her skills. By the end of January 09, she had already achieved both literacy and numeracy level 2 qualifications. At the same time, she took the New Computer Literacy and IT (Clait) course and later the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) course to gain some useful IT skills.
In February, she was recruited to the eight week long Personal Best programme. Through role-plays, group discussions, presentations and volunteering, she built up her confidence and also improved her spoken English and her interpersonal skills. A key benefit is that she is no longer afraid of talking in front of a crowd.
Since she completed her Personal Best course in late April 2009, Ganna has continued volunteering. She is currently volunteering as an administrator at a learning centre two days a week and also volunteers at different charity functions. At the same time, she is actively looking for a job and also plans to complete an NVQ level 2 course in child care.
Ganna has long been suffering from the illness scoliosis, but this has never put her off from wanting to get a job and she has never used it as an excuse for not working hard. She is sincere and hard working. Her determination to do well is inspiring. The transformation is evident and in recognition of this she won the London ESF Participant of the Year award (20+) in October 2009.
'I did the Personal Best course. I liked that course very much. I learned about presentation. I joined in discussions and I felt much more confident. I had opportunities to volunteer which gave me invaluable working experience. I now believe in my ability. I know that if I work hard, I will achieve.'
Project information
The Personal Best Programme is a joint initiative between the London Development Agency, LSC and Jobcentre Plus. It is a training programme linked to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The programme aims to provide participants with work experience and gain transferable jobs skills through a nationally recognised qualification in volunteering. Also, closer to the time of the Games, graduates will be guaranteed an interview as part of the application process to become a 2012 Games Delivery Volunteer, with up to 10% of volunteers coming from the Personal Best Programme.