DurhamWorks Programmes for Schools supports young people in Year 11 to plan and move into sustained post 16 education, employment, or training; enabling them to achieve their full potential.
Thalia, is one such young person that DurhamWorks Programmes for Schools has supported, she is 16, and has been home educated since school year 10, however she had reached the stage where she was not doing any academic work at home. She had found school challenging before switching altogether off from education.
Previously she had attended the school but faced some challenging issues.
Because of her issues with anxiety Thalia had become withdrawn from any kind of social interaction apart from online interactions. She struggled with going out on her own and mixing in everyday situations as she found face to face interactions an obstacle. She did have interests but because of her challenges no outlet for them.
Thalia’s challenges included low self-esteem, low confidence, and social anxiety. She could not see a way to get the future she wanted for herself as she had to get qualifications but did not know how to achieve this as she struggled to get out of the home environment. She found herself lacking the motivation or commitment to do anything after school.
Her parents were becoming increasingly her next steps and welcomed the support of DurhamWorks Programmes for Schools.
DurhamWorks Programmes for School made Thalia and her family aware of the wealth of employment choices that were available to her and also made her recognise of her own lack of motivation. She explored other post school options. She took on board the advice and talked to parents and relatives for suitable alternatives.
She had enough confidence to change her mind on her first choice of career and has progressed into a job with training in the care sector. She is a lot more optimistic now she has started work “I didn’t know there were other things I could do instead!”
To find out more about the work DurhamWorks Programmes for Schools does to support young people visit their page on this website.