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Paul Hewitson, a Progression Coordinator at DurhamWorks helps young people in Durham by providing support finding education, employment, and training opportunities while breaking down personal barriers.

Many young people face hurdles accessing the job market or pursuing further education due to confidence issues, lack of support, and feelings of hopelessness.

DurhamWorks adopts a client-centred approach, focusing on the needs and aspirations of the individual. We offer personalised support, one-on-one coaching, and assistance with job applications among many other things.

With DurhamWorks’ support, young people in County Durham experience increased confidence and improved employability – our personalised support empowers you to overcome barriers, achieve success, and build brighter futures.

If you could benefit from DurhamWorks’ support, get started today and  Sign up to join us!

Video transcript – Paul Hewitson.pdf

Dani struggled to find work for 18 months. Her anxiety hindered her from seeking support and job opportunities, and prolonged unemployment fuelled her depression, creating a vicious cycle of self-doubt and isolation.

Seeking assistance from DurhamWorks, Dani received tailored support to address her challenges. As Dani struggled in job interviews, they revamped her CV and provided interview preparation techniques.

As Dani’s confidence grew, she became more engaged during sessions, thanks to the support and encouragement from her advisor.

Despite ongoing struggles with anxiety and depression, Dani’s journey with DurhamWorks led to significant improvements. She now volunteers at a mental health charity, finding positivity in supporting others.

“It’s helped bring back my positivity. I now know what I want to do with my life!”

Dani Transcript

Abigail faced overwhelming anxiety upon starting university to study English Literature. Struggling to cope, she dropped out and turned to DurhamWorks for support.

Abigail leaned heavily on her mum, disliked phone calls, and found using public transport too difficult, hindering her independence and career prospects.

DurhamWorks helped Abigail gradually tackle her fears, including navigating public transport and attending sessions by herself.

With support, Abigail gained confidence, and landed a job in a bookshop. She’s now on track to pursue her dream of becoming an author.

“I thought it’d be like school, but it’s nothing like that. Your worker is more like a friend who wants to see you do well and be happy.”.

Mariia was referred to DurhamWorks as she had recently relocated to the United Kingdom from Ukraine and she wanted support searching for a job and updating her CV. Mariia also wanted the opportunity to improve her English.

With our support, Mariia gained full time employment at Maximo’s restaurant in Castle Eden as a front of house assistant as well as attending college. 

Speaking about Mariia, Dave at Maximo’s said, “Since joining our team Mariia has integrated superbly into our way of doing things, long may it continue!”.

Speaking about her experience with DurhamWorks Mariia said “It was interesting and helpful. The workers of DurhamWorks worked quickly and responded to my requirements and questions. After our search and efforts, I found a job that I like.”

Catharine Revill was 21 when she joined DurhamWorks Empower course, having deferred from university as a result of mental health concerns. The objective of the course is to provide young people with support regarding their wellbeing and providing aid for their next steps in life. It was for this reason that Catharine believed the course was well suited to her needs.

One of her main hopes was that the course would provide her with more confidence while also gaining support when it came to finding work or training opportunities.

Catharine’s main goal was to engage in discussions more, which her provider, Olivia Cummings, was confident could be completed on the Empower course. By the end of the course, Catharine felt she was in a better position to find employment or training for her future.

Olivia described Catharine as having “worked really hard in sessions, she used the content to work on her own mental health. Catharine’s confidence has really grown and her coming to all the sessions is an amazing achievement. Catharine is working hard to find her next steps by engaging with the one to one sessions. She has been a wonderful addition to the cohort.”.

Since beginning the course, Catharine has realised that her mental health is not a barrier to finding employment and has begun implementing mindfulness exercises to lower levels of anxiety.

When describing the Empower course, Catharine said,

“I would encourage people to do the course if they want help with managing their wellbeing and looking towards employment or next steps for their future.”.

If you are 16 to 24 or know of someone in that age range who is looking for support on their journey into education employment, training or an apprenticeship contact DurhamWorks.

DurhamWorks is a dedicated program for young people living in County Durham offering one to one support from dedicated members of the team. DurhamWorks helps young people to get the skills and training that they need to find a job, apprenticeship, become a volunteer or even just progress their learning. All this support is provided free of charge.

Article by DurhamWorks client, Dylan Stoddart.