Blog: Terry-My Kickstart Experience

Terry, 21 from Ellesmere Port worked as a Pledge Resources Assistant for YouthFed as part of the Kickstart Scheme between June and August 2021.  Since taking part in this programme, Terry has secured an administrative role in the legal sector.

Whilst Terry took part in the Kickstart scheme, he shared his experience  of taking part in Kickstart in the blog below.

How it has helped me

Since I have started my role at The Pledge through the Kickstart Scheme, I feel my confidence has grown from day one! I am now happy to take on more than one task without stressing about time management and other issues which would have affected my ability to work, without having my anxiety kicking in.

What I’ve learned about myself

As we have to do a lot of team meetings and online work, I have noticed that now I can happily go into a teams meeting and listen and importantly I can give my view of things if people need another opinion. Kickstart has meant I’m having the chance to network with the people in the industries that I am hoping to work in in the future. I started off without knowing what I wanted to do or be, but since being on The Pledge I now know that I would like to either get into branding and web design or hopefully learn to manage a small business.

What makes me feel even more happier is no one has told me “no that is impossible”, instead they have taken their time to make sure I meet with the correct people and that I am doing tasks that are tailored to me for my bigger end goals. 

A supportive team

Everyone I have met working on The Pledge have been lovely and supportive. Before joining the team I would admit my social anxiety was bad and I was unable to go into Zoom meetings, but now I can successfully book and manage my meetings be it 1-1 or a group meeting. At the end of the day everything in The Pledge is there to help you build connections and network with the correct people, helping you secure that dream job in the future.

Employer Perspective

Caroline Turpin, Employer Engagement Manager leads the Kickstart Scheme at YouthFed, she commented:

“Youth Federation to date has employed 11 Kickstarters.  Terry being one of them.  At a time of huge challenges during COVID particularly for young people, the Kickstart Scheme has given them hope, direction and an opportunity.  It has also given them new friendships, confidence and a safe environment where they can learn.  I have enjoyed watching the Kickstarters evolve both personally and professionally and see their true personalities shine through and I’m looking forward to working with more Kickstarters in the future.”   

If you are a business wanting to find out more about the Kickstart Scheme please contact the Growth Hub

If you are a young person or business wanting to find out more about Youthfed please click here