Kyle had no idea what to do, but then he found the Military.

Kyle Smith was a year 11 leaver with no plans or definite ideas of what he wanted to do for a career. He came into DurhamWorks as NEET and was allocated to DurhamWorks Progression Adviser, Tom Lynn.

After the initial meeting, Tom established that Kyle had family related issues that were holding him back. He was also unsure of where to look for information about what he could do in the future and what help was available. Kyle also had a number of personal, financial and opportunity related barriers that were stopping him from moving forward with his life.

Tom was able to support Kyle by removing the barriers he was facing and identify the career path he wanted to follow, which was to join the army. Tom took Kyle to HMS Calliope on Gateshead Quays for a series of interviews and inductions where he met a number of senior Army personnel, and it was from these meetings that he decided that he wanted to join the Coldstream Guards.

Kyle is currently attending a YH Training Services Military Preparation course at the Army Reserve Centre, Seaburn, Sunderland. Tom Lynn, Progression Adviser said, “His attendance and general commitment has been excellent and he is proving to be an excellent example to others on the course too. This is a huge step in relation to where he was and how he felt about his future plans. The Military Preparation course is proving a superb, supportive step on the way to him achieving his aim of being a soldier in the Coldstream Guards.”

Ross Askew, Kyles tutor at YH Training Services Military Preparation site in Sunderland said, “Kyle has proven to be very committed to his course and is improving all the time and ultimately I think he has the capabilities to be a very good soldier. He is getting himself fit and learning about military life and coping with the discipline that he will need to forge a great career for himself”.

Kyle stated “The support of Tom and DurhamWorks has been brilliant for me as initially I did not know what I wanted to do with my life after leaving school and I really needed someone to point me in the right direction. I am so pleased I signed up for their support”.

Kyle is currently on target to join the British Army.

If you are 16 – 24 years old, live in County Durham and Not in Education, Employment or Training, you can sign up to DurhamWorks. The team will provide you with Tailored One to One support with a dedicated member of the team. They will get you the skills and qualifications you need to help you get into work, further learning or training. Visit www.durhamworks.info for more information or call the team on 03000 262 930.

Posted in Our Stories on Jun 25, 2019


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