Case studies
Foot in the Door - Young people. Click on each person to hear their story.
Ellie was 16 when she contacted the Foot in the Door project in the summer of 2009. She had heard about the project through her friends, who had recommended it as a way of finding permanent, part-time work.
Ellie - Peacocks, Peckham
Click for more ›Ellie was 16 when she contacted the Foot in the Door project in the summer of 2009. She had heard about the project through her friends, who had recommended it as a way of finding permanent, part-time work. Ellie is a very focussed, well presented young woman, determined to do well through her education and avoid the pitfalls of living in a more deprived area. She intends to do pharmacy at university.
Ellie had tried to find part-time work in shops and restaurants but found that nothing was available, and where there was an opportunity she did not have the relevant experience to offer the employer. Ellie had been fortunate in having a good work experience placement while at the Harris Academy in Peckham, when her mother secured her two weeks in the civil service in the Department of Children, Schools and Families where she worked.
Ellie signed up for the Foot in the Door project and found the assessment meeting with the Adviser and the work placement the most helpful parts of the process, and now has an up to date CV which she did not have before. She was placed at Peacocks in Peckham and completed the whole placement and is now working there on a permanent part-time basis. She said that “it was my first job, so I really enjoyed it because it was a new experience for me” and “at the end of the placement they called me to go back because they wanted to employ me, I was so happy”. In fact it took three months after the placement ended for Peacocks to contact Ellie, she had been put on the waiting list and kept in touch with the shop staff.
Peacocks found Ellie to be an ideal member of staff, she fitted in with the rest of the staff which the manager described as a “family”, and they had included her in staff nights out even when she was waiting for a job to come up. The manager had found her to be a hard worker “Ellie was a star, she really wanted to work”, and “she wanted to be there, work and learn about the shop”. The manager had no hesitation in recruiting Ellie when a vacancy arose. Peacocks have subsequently taken further placements and have confidence in the project which they see as a cost effective way of recruiting locally.
Basra was in full time education studying for her GCSEs at Grey Coats Hospital Six Form when she registered on the Foot in the Door (FITD) programme in October 2010.
Basra - Dune Shoes, St Paul’s
Click for more ›Basra was in full time education studying for her GCSEs at Grey Coats Hospital Six Form when she registered on the Foot in the Door (FITD) programme in October 2010. She found out about ‘Foot in the Door’ on the internet when she was looking for opportunities in her local area.
While waiting for a suitable placement, she was given the option of accessing the client support service, to develop her CV and covering letter as well as job search sessions to look and apply for jobs. Although she had undertaken 2 weeks work experience while she was in school, she did not feel she had enough experience to compete with others and her confidence was low.
However, after 3 weeks of hard work on her CV and training on what to say and how to approach businesses, Basra felt confident enough to go out and drop her CV to various retailers. Basra secured several interviews and the FITD adviser helped her with her interview skills.
Basra was successful in securing a part time paid job at Dune’s Shoes in the new shopping centre “One New Change” at Cheapside near St Paul’s. She was given full support and encouragement and was given a one month travel card to help her settle at work.
Basra told her employer about the FITD project and took some marketing materials in to see if there may be more opportunities for other young people.
KT was a 17 year old student who joined the Foot in the Door scheme in 2009. She is a very determined and motivated individual who has accessed the service to her advantage by attending the CV surgeries.
KT - Shoe Zone, Peckham
Click for more ›KT was a 17 year old student who joined the FITD scheme in 2009. She is a very determined and motivated individual who has accessed the service to her advantage by attending the CV surgeries, and was supported on how to fill job applications and interview techniques. She had her placement at Shoe Zone Peckham and managed to secure a part time job on Tuesdays after her 3 week placement. KT’s ambition didn’t stop her from wanting more in her life while studying at Croydon Fashion College. She started dropping of her CV to different retailers to find weekend work and secured a job working for Clarks in Lewisham on Sundays. KT also took part in the FITD DVD production and is very driven to progress her ideas and education in fashion.
EM was a 16 year old who registered for the Foot in the Door scheme in 2009 and wanted to work at weekends. When her chance to get a placement came up she said she would never let the scheme down.
EM - part time weekend work
Click for more ›EM was a 16 year old who registered for the FITD scheme in 2009 and wanted to work at weekends. When her chance to get a placement came up she said she would never let the scheme down and promised to do her best. EM was given a one to one induction before the placement, outlining the duties and responsibilities, dress code and also how to present herself in front of staff and customers. During her placement, she showed her employer that she was reliable, enthusiastic and energetic - all of which landed her part time weekend work. The employer has since recommended the FITD scheme to other local employers.
PO was a 17 year old young man who joined the Foot in the Door scheme in 2009. He was told that there was a waiting list for placements but was offered help by his Adviser to create a CV and covering letter.
PO - Match Day Assistant, Fulham Football Club
Click for more ›PO was a 17 year old young man who joined the FITD scheme in 2009. Upon registration, he was told that there was a waiting list for FITD placements but in the meantime, he was offered help by his Adviser to create a CV and covering letter. He was given advice on jobsearching and the best way to approach employers. Using this advice and his new CV, PO’s own determination and hard work helped him to get a part time job at Fulham Football Club as match day assistant, thus enabling him to work at weekends while still pursuing his studies.
Featured People
Shop Manager – Peckham
“previously there was a problem with obtaining weekend workers in Peckham; people were not available locally to work on Sundays. The project has filled a gap and now there are always people available to fill places.”
Young person who has participated in the project
“It allows us to get an insight into what you expect of yourselves in employment, also increases chances of employability.”