Peter was referred for ETU support in January 2025. He had previously applied to college and, when this was unsuccessful, he started looking at his training and employment options. Initially, he was unsure on what he wanted to do for work, was open to getting involved in some training sessions and said he was mainly interested in manual work.

Working with his Employment and Training Co-ordinator (ETC), Ross, they drew up an action plan that saw Peter complete a range of pre-employability training including core skills Working with Others, Health and Safety in the Workplace and Money Works, before starting on the Team programme. Delivered by Go! Youth Trust, this was seen as a good progression for Peter as he had no previous work experience and the programme offered that.

Peter had excellent attendance at Team and completed a two-weeks work placement with Barnardo's. This involved working on maintenance projects mainly outdoors on an estate. Peter excelled in this role, and it opened him up to work in environmental and horticultural positions in addition to trades and construction.

Ross and Peter worked together to review his action plan, and he progressed onto the TCV employability skills programme at Jupiter Project. Both agreed this would be an excellent progression due to his success with Barnardo’s. During the eight-week programme, Peter had full attendance and was completely engaged in all of the activities.

When asked how things are going, Peter said: "I feel amazing about my achievements; my confidence levels have raised substantially regarding what I feel I am able to do. My favourite moment was when I was working with Go! Youth Trust, as it helped me push out of my comfort zone in regard to talking to people. I would highly recommend ETU to others as they have helped me massively in my confidence and anxiety levels regarding my future."

Fast forward a few months and Peter is still fully engaged in progressing towards work, attending further vocational training at Forth Valley College. As Ross explains: "Peter’s willingness to take on new opportunities has led to him finding he has skills in horticulture and that he enjoys working in environmental spaces. This willingness has been nurtured and encouraged during his time on the Team programme, through group work and strong focus on working with others. This has been key to Peter’s development and stands him in good stead for the future."

Peter is working towards completing his CSCS training and the next steps in his action plan have a real focus on applications, interview prep and gaining and sustaining employment. Ross will also support him with applications to Modern Apprenticeship roles through a series of group and one-to-one supported job search and interview skills sessions.