Support, skills, success
Nicola upskills to break into new sector
Nicola Tucker, 39, from Beeston, had been out of work for two years when she joined the Restart Scheme in October 2021.
Nicola had previously worked as a shop assistant and had undertaken various other customer facing roles. But despite her extensive experience in customer service, Nicola knew her heart was in another profession entirely.
With her love of numbers, Nicola was determined to succeed in the accounting world. She had tried to enrol on a SAGE accounting and payroll course but had found it difficult to get the support she needed. This lack of support began to affect her mental health.
She was referred to our partner in Nottinghamshire, Futures, and met her dedicated Employment Advisor Karen. She told Karen of her dream to work in accounting, and was supported to enrol onto the SAGE Course, which she then completed and passed. As Nicola gained qualification after qualification, she began to see that her dream was becoming a reality, and her mental health improved.
Nicola was supported to create a brand-new CV using CV 360 to showcase her new qualifications and created a personal statement to impress potential employers.
She began attending Job Club sessions hosted by the Recruitment team and was assisted in finding the right role for her.
Nicola applied for a vacancy as an Accounts Assistant and was helped by the team to prepare for interview. Thanks to this support, and her own research, Nicola found out she had been successful on the same day.
After setting out on her dream to work in accounting two years ago, Nicola had finally achieved her goal. She started her new job as an Accounts Assistant in July.
Nicola said: “The Restart Scheme helped me greatly. It helped me achieve the career path I wanted. I was helped to get on the relevant training courses I needed to make my career change and I’m now working in my chosen career field. I managed to find a company that was willing to give me a chance as I had no experience but had the relevant qualifications.
“I am grateful to Employment Advisors Karen, Molly, Melissa, and Yolande for the help they gave me, and Dale for helping me to prepare for the interview. I am very happy in my job role and I’m even happier it’s doing something I have a passion for.
“For me this is proof that if you really want something in life, with a bit of hard work, it is achievable.”
