Kyra gets new skills, new clothes and a new job

Kyra Jackson became a Beyond Housing tenant in April 2018, aged 19 years old. Planning for the future for herself and her one year old son, Kyra enrolled on Beyond Housing’s New Directions programme so she could learn new skills to be work ready when the time came that her baby could access free childcare.

New Directions offers tailored, one-to-one support to people in the Redcar and Cleveland area aged 15 to 29 who are not in education, employment or training. Participants can access specialist support, information advice and guidance, training, mentoring, apprenticeships, job placements and further education to help them meet the needs of local employers.

Working with Steph Pew, her New Directions Advisor, Kyra took her first step into developing her skillset by enrolling on a first aid course. Steph arranged bus tickets to get Kyra to the training venue while Kyra’s mum babysat for her. As well as being the first time Kyra had attended training since college, it was also the first time she had left her baby for a full day.

Overcoming her initial worries Kyra was awarded a Level 3 qualification in Emergency First Aid, and from then on there was no holding her back. She soon embarked on her biggest challenge yet, a five day course to achieve a Security Industry Authority (SIA) licence. This required her to pass both a written examination and rigorous Home Office vetting to be awarded her licence, which she succeeded.

With Kyra’s confidence at the highest it had been in years, Steph took her shopping for suitable interview clothing, paid for by New Directions’ ‘Into Work’ funding.

“Something as simple as getting the right clothes for interviews really helped change my mind set.” said Kyra, “As soon as I put on my new outfit I felt more confident and professional.”

In January Kyra started a part time job in hospitality that fits around her son and has allowed her to come off benefits.

Kyra added: “Without the training courses and the right support from Steph with getting ready for work, I would never have had the confidence to even apply for jobs.

“I’m thrilled to have found the perfect job that lets me fit work around my childcare commitments as well as being able to provide for my son.”

Steph Pew, New Directions Advisor at Beyond Housing said: “It’s fantastic to see Kyra happily in work now, it wasn’t easy to get there but she overcame every hurdle along the way such as not being able to afford credit for her phone, or not being able to get a babysitter to attend appointments.

“Kyra was determined to provide a bright future for her son, which thanks to her perseverance she now has all the tools to achieve.”