After 21 years of unemployment, lone parent Joanne Lake is now working part-time at a local school and looking into the idea of taking up a teaching assistant course. Through attending the ‘Parents into Jobs’ European Social Fund project, Joanne has not only gained confidence and motivation but is also becoming a true inspiration to all her children, especially her youngest daughter, Ellie who is 8; she is thrilled her mum could become a teacher. Here is Joanne’s story:

"In just over a month I started working as a mid-day assistant at a local school! I’m like a different person now, I have so much confidence, even Sirinda taking my photos for this story is not something I would have been able to have done at the start of the year! I’m proud to say that I’m working! And it’s not just had an effect on me; all my children have seen the change in me and its making them look at themselves. My middle daughter, who had a baby a year ago, is now talking about going back to college and finishing off her studies. It really has been great for all of us, I just wish that I had done it sooner….I’m thinking positively about the future and am talking to Sirinda about starting a Teaching Assistant course. I feel like a new woman and am looking forward to starting a career and living life for myself and my kids.”

Project Notes

Project aims and objectives:
Parents into Jobs, is a project that is delivered by O-Regen as lead partner, along with O’Bay and ProDiverse. It focuses on supporting parents into employment and training, in order to get closer to the job market. We aim to achieve this by providing quality Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG), identifying barriers that they may have that stop them from moving into employment, helping them to over-come these barriers and provide training and supported work placements to increase skills, knowledge and confidence.

Main beneficiaries and Outcomes:
Parents into Jobs started in April 2010 and will complete at the end of March 2012. Working with two partners it is delivering to unemployed/economically inactive lone parents or parents in workless households in Waltham Forest, Enfield and Barnet. The project delivers Information, Advice and Guidance, ICT training to a level 2 qualification standard, adult literacy to a level 1 and 2 standard, supported work placements and jobsearch activities including CV building. All services are aimed at improving parent’s skills and knowledge and enabling them to move into or closer to the job market.

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Mrs M came to O-Regen at the start of November 2010. She had moved to the UK in January 2004 but found herself raising her son who is now 4 years old as a lone parent soon after arriving.