Daryl was referred to Opt-IN by CRI connections whilst on a 5 month Detention Training Order for GBH. He had left education with no qualifications, having failed to engage at any of the schools he attended; he had been moved between several schools because of his behavioural problems.

Daryl was determined to become employed and stay out of trouble, but he was finding it very difficult to get a job. He started Element 2 hoping to improve his Employability skills and seek work. During his time with the programme, Daryl also managed to overcome his low confidence levels and wavering motivation.

He also made the difficult decision to avoid his peers who had previously encouraged him to offend. He refused to give into external pressure to re-offend, and showed great resilience when faced with rejection from job applications.

Daryl showed willingness to improve his skills and take onboard advice from his mentors. During the course he worked on his interview technique, completed applications, rewrote his CV and searched for vacancies. He received feedback about his interview technique in a positive way, and put into practice the skills he developed in his future interviews.

Sussex Downs College arranged a work experience placement for Daryl at Tesco in the hope that if an employer could see how willing and hard working Daryl was, they may be more inclined to offer him employment. Daryl worked for a week in the electrical section of the store, helping to stock and display the products.

He extremely enjoyed this week and was delighted when they offered him the opportunity to apply for a job. Unfortunately the position was for night work and they felt that Daryl needed to work during the day to make the most of the company opportunities for development and training. Daryl was very upset and frustrated and didn’t believe them when they said they’d call him about other vacancies.

This was the most difficult period for Daryl as he had finally found an opportunity and he felt that he had given it his all and was extremely disappointed. Tesco then invited him back to discuss another job opportunity, this time in the department in which he had completed his work placement. Daryl has now been successfully employed for 4 months. It is a great opportunity for him to make the most of the in house training they offer and staff incentive schemes such as company shares and pensions. Daryl also recently referred his younger sister to Opt-IN, after she lost her apprenticeship due to lack of employer funds.