Seeking employment in a country where you’re unable to speak the language sounds near impossible. Add financial troubles into the mix and searching for work becomes even more pressured. Thanks to the help of advisors from Ingeus’s Restart Scheme however, Arsalan Farajpour is getting to grips with his finances, and the English language, and is set to realise his dreams of working in Britain.
Referred by his local Jobcentre Plus in Wigan, Arsalan, who moved to England from Iran in 2017, joined the Restart Scheme in March. The Government set up the programme to provide tailored support to help people get back into work after the pandemic. With the help of Restart advisors Ibby, Stacey and Alec, Arsalan is progressing towards finding his ideal job.
He says, “The team are giving me hope and courage to achieve my dreams. Work is very important to me – I have lots of ideas how to make people’s lives better, but my English is not very good, and I don’t know the words to explain them.”
Ibby referred Arsalan to a weekly course covering conversational English, as well as confidence building and interview skills. Held within the Restart offices, he joins up to 10 other jobseekers needing similar support – also giving him the opportunity to settle further into the local community.
Keen to help him overcome his financial challenges, Ibby also referred Arsalan to Alec, one of the Restart Scheme’s financial advisors. Together, they looked at the areas where Arsalan needed help, such as reducing his debt. Alec spoke to Arsalan’s energy providers on his behalf, as well as guiding him through his application for government support with energy bills.
With finances and English studies under control, Ibby then began supporting Arsalan with his employability skills, including re-working his CV ready for job applications.
Arsalan says, “The Restart Scheme team is like the sunshine that destroys the darkness. You feel the positive energy in their office because they are helping so many people. I am grateful to all of the team and their leaders for their support and encouragement, they are all amazing.”
Commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions, Ingeus is the lead provider of the Restart Scheme in Greater Manchester and Central and West London. It also partners with Serco, to support the Restart Scheme in Central West Midlands.
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