PH has been our client for 7 months now. He has always been reluctant in engaging with our employment services. On his enrolment assessment, he disclosed that he wanted to become a barber. However, as he had no experience in that area, the chances of getting a job quickly were low. We suggested to him at the time to improve his English and then go through a hairdressing course at the college. PH didn’t like that option either as he felt it would take too long for that dream to happen.
At the time we spoke about volunteering at a barber shop and see where that would take him. However, due to cultural beliefs PH didn’t want to work for free and considered it to be a form of exploitation. Nevertheless, when we started ‘Know your Neighbourhood’, PH attended several sessions and seemed to grasp the benefits of volunteering to gain experience in areas that he wished to work in.
He then went ahead and managed to get himself a volunteer position at a barber shop, working a few hours a week. Last time he came to meet us, he seemed happy with the experience. He also said that the barber shop manager told him that if he continued to show reliability and hard work, then he would be put on the payroll as work experience.