Janice's Story

I joined the Restore project with Women & Work because my son had started school and I wanted to seek part-time employment. To do this I wanted to update my skills and gain more self confidence. I had been out of the job market for 7 years and just passed my 50th birthday and in today's economic climate I felt I needed all the help I can get.

I wanted to update my IT skills, gain more confidence, update my CV and learn the best way to apply for jobs. I wanted to learn how to achieve more so I went on an in-depth Interpersonal Skills Course to learn about different behaviour types and about myself - how to interact better with others.

My main barrier to learning was my lack of confidence. I feel that I have gained more confidence by going on these courses and meeting people through Women & Work.

I have since completed a 'Support Work in Schools Level 2' qualification and I intent to undertake a Teaching Assistant NVQ Level 2 qualification. I will be volunteering at my son's school from September.

I have gained more confidence now and decided which route I would like to go down to achieve my goal of becoming a Teaching Assistant. It has made me revalue things in my life and to prioritise things more clearly.