Teenager turns his back on a life of crime
Location: London
ESF Funding: London Development Agency (LDA)
ESF Target Group: Young people including NEET, ex-offender
"I want to start my own sales business."
Sam left school at 15 heading for a life of crime. Now, with the support of a programme funded by the London Development Agency (LDA) and the European Social Fund (ESF). He is currently working as a senior sales consultant for a recruitment firm in Croydon, which he has been engaged in for 4 months now.
Sam, who described himself as, "a very hard core Arsenal supporter, who left school at 15 and wanted to be a full time criminal", was referred by the Sutton Youth Offending Team to Business & Education London South (BELS), a registered charity based in Croydon, Surrey. BELS works with disadvantaged young people, particularly those who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) and runs personal development and pre-employment programmes enabling young people to improve their educational achievements and employability skills while encouraging them to take control of their future.
BELS placed Sam on their LDA and ESF funded Creating Positive Futures Programme, designed to help disadvantaged young people engage with the labour market and progress from unemployment into sustainable employment. The programme, which runs to June 2012, will provide support to 380 young people aged 16 - 19 and help 144 into employment.
The staff at BELS immediately recognised Sam's charisma, confidence, leadership ability and energy, but while these qualities worked positively for him, they also worked against him in that his attitude would sometimes come across as arrogant or disruptive. As Sam says, "One of the most useful things about the course was having certain personality traits pointed out. I did not like it at the time but it kicked me up the backside and I had to take it on board."
With one-to-one support, career mapping and exploring transferable skills through experiential learning, Sam realised that his skills matched a sales role. His confidence, people skills, communication skills and ability to think on his feet transferred well into a sales role. His money motivator was a driving force to allow him to enjoy, rather than fear, performance related pay.
"Sam originally saw himself in a hospitality role, which again matched his personality but his desire to earn money often meant that the hospitality roles he was interested in did not have a salary that motivated him. In sales he could step out of a fixed salary structure". Sue Murkin, Senior Project Manager of Employability and Training at BELS, says.
Sam really came into his own when faced with leadership challenges on the programme. He organised an event at a care home and single-handedly managed the event team and ensured that all the residents had a fabulous time. He also threw himself into the day's work at a homeless shelter and volunteered to give a speech at a BELS' Steering Group meeting. Reflecting on his achievements, Sam says, "Now I've got a lot of money saved by working legally. I want to start my own sales business."
According to Sue Murkin, "Sam's journey with BELS reflects not only his discovery of what job role would best utilise his natural skills but shows the personal growth and transformation he undertook in understanding himself."
Business & Education London South (BELS)
BELS is a registered charity based in Croydon, working with businesses, educational establishments and voluntary organisations across London, supporting young people as they prepare for adult and working life.
BELS focuses on the development of young people's interpersonal, commercial and business skills, to empower them to develop their potential and be better prepared to proceed to further education or employment.
In particular BELS supports disadvantaged 16 to 24 year-olds including those:
- who are not in education, employment or training (NEET)
- who have left school with few or no qualifications
- who have a history of offending or who are at risk of offending
- who have learning disabilities or mental health issues
- who are in care or who are care leavers
- who have a history of substance misuse
- who are teenage parents or who come from broken families
BELS aims to raise the aspirations, confidence and self-esteem of disenfranchised young people by taking them through a journey of social, educational and professional self-discovery.