THE unemployment rate in the UK continues to fall year on year, however many people still face barriers to re-joining the workforce and approximately 5,500* people are currently unemployed in Thurrock alone. One person who knows how difficult it is to get back into work is Charlie McDonald – a 23 year old from Thurrock who struggled to catch a break until he found out about Marks and Spencer’s (M&S) employability programme, Make Your Mark.
Charlie comes from an extremely difficult background and was unfortunately surrounded by bad influences during his youth, which ultimately resulted in him making a number of wrong decisions. Charlie was forced to move to a different area of Thurrock to start a new life, however due to financial constraints, the only area he could afford to move to, even with the help of supported living, was one renowned with high unemployment. Following a number of knock backs at interview stage, Charlie began to feel that he would never be given the chance to get initial experience to break into the working world and was left with troubling confidence issues as his attempt to break away from his past seemed to be failing. It was at this point that he heard about the Make Your Mark scheme and his luck turned around.
The Make Your Mark programme is aimed at those who face barriers into work – such as young adults with confidence issues – and aims to give them a boost and reconnect them with their skills before giving them work experience with one of the UK’s biggest high street retailers. Participants complete a three-day training course ahead of a two-week in-store placement, which is followed by support from organisations such as The Princes Trust to help them to secure jobs.
It was the help and encouragement Charlie received through the Make Your Mark programme that helped him get back onto his feet.
Charlie explained: “After an extremely tough upbringing I was determined to succeed. I unfortunately ended up leaving my first job as it just wasn’t for me and I didn’t find it very fulfilling. I thought I would spring back into work but my applications were continually declined with no explanation as to why and this led me to believe that no one was willing to give me the chance to gain initial experience, and so my confidence disappeared. I lost all my self-esteem and thought I would be out of work for years to come. At the time I was trying to survive on job seeker’s allowance, but the days would drag on and I was getting nowhere with my job applications. It wasn’t until a support worker put me in touch with The Princes Trust, that I found out about the Make Your Mark programme with M&S and got the help I needed to turn my life around.”
Charlie, who started the programme towards the end of last year, threw himself into the training. His coaches at M&S were so impressed with the dedication and improvement he made within just a short space of time, they offered him a permanent, full time position as Suit Advisor at M&S Lakeside Thurrock.
Charlie continued: “I was so grateful for the placement. I had hit rock bottom and I didn’t know where I was heading in life. The coaches at The Prince’s Trust gave me a real boost in confidence and explained all the right things to say in an interview and how to write a CV. I was over the moon when I got the placement at M&S; I never thought I would get the opportunity to work for such an impressive organisation.
“To begin with I found the programme really straining as my self-confidence was so low after everything I had been through and I was suffering from depression and didn’t think I’d make it through to the end. The programme starts off with all candidates working together in a big group, obviously at the beginning you are strangers, which is really daunting, but after a while you all come together to support each other. My two mentors were brilliant and gave me motivational speeches that really helped me complete the course.
“Everyone at M&S is so friendly and is always offering me support. My confidence is growing continually and I love the interaction with the customers, advising them on our suits. If it wasn’t for M&S, I don’t know where I would have ended up, but I’m really looking forward to working my way up the career ladder at M&S as I hope to reach Section Coordinator level. Hopefully one day I will be able to offer the support and guidance that people have given me to someone else in need.”
M&S Lakeside Thurrock is open between 8.30am and 10pm Monday to Friday, 8am and 9pm on Saturdays and 11am and 5pm on Sundays, with free parking available.
