Case Study

Jamie brews up career in coffee shop

23 Apr 2024

Twenty-year-old Jamie is full of beans about his new job. Struggling to find employment while studying towards a degree, he sought advice from the Ingeus Working Well (Work and Health Programme) and found a job as a barista for a national coffee shop chain, which is proving to be just his cup of tea (or, rather, coffee).
 
Jamie, who has autism and dyspraxia, started applying for jobs while studying for his degree in E-Sports/Gaming at his local college, but in September this year he realised he wanted to leave his course and find employment.
 
Lacking in confidence and having little success with his applications, Jamie was referred by his local Jobcentre Plus to Keyworker Daniel in the Ingeus Working Well (Work and Health Programme) team in Greater Manchester. The programme offers tailored support to individuals with disabilities and health conditions who are seeking employment. Commissioned by Greater Manchester Combined Authority, it soon provided Jamie with the support he needed.
 
“I’d applied for loads of jobs, too many to count. Danny really helped me with my confidence, especially with interviews as that was what worried me the most. I’m so grateful for the help he gave me,” says Jamie, who lives in Rochdale.
 
Through the programme, Jamie attended various support workshops to help him overcome his barriers, including a CV session, interview techniques and support for confidence and motivation.
 
Daniel recalls, “During Jamie’s time on the programme, we helped build his confidence and motivation, offering various employability courses to help him become more job ready.
 
“Following a successful training period with his new employer, he was employed permanently on a part-time basis. Since then, he has been offered a full-time contract – his manager and colleagues are really happy with his work ethic and reliability.”
 
Initially, Daniel helped Jamie to look for a role in the gaming industry – which is where Jamie’s passions lie. While he isn’t ruling out a future career in that field, Jamie is discovering the catering industry and enjoying his work within it.
 
“The programme has been great in terms of helping me overcome various barriers and find employment that is local to me,” he explains.
 
“I’m loving my job! I’ve made lots of new friends and my confidence is getting better. I don’t have a clear plan for my career but I feel a lot more confident to look for another job if I wanted to. In the meantime, I’m really happy to have been offered full time hours and I’m looking forward to doing that.”

Working Well Work and Health Programme