Lee was able to make a huge transformation to his work-life balance with personalised careers support.
Wanting to make a change
In his previous job, Lee was commuting from Cwmbran to Bristol. This was having a massive impact on his work life balance.
He also felt limited by opportunities, explaining: “I wanted to do a National Examination Board in Occupational Health and Safety (NEBOSH) certification to build on my work development and qualifications. But I was not able to do this with my employer.”
Whilst he was at the Eisteddfod, Lee was advised to speak to Careers Wales.
Careers support
Lee read about the Personal Learning Accounts (PLA) online and immediately wanted to find out more.
He said: “I couldn’t believe there was no cost to them. So I called up Careers Wales and spoke to my careers adviser, Julia, for the first time.
“We talked straight away about how I could use the PLA. Julia was incredibly friendly and supportive. We got my application sorted and sent off straight away.
“It was after this that my careers adviser came across a job at a local authority, Monmouthshire Housing Association (MHA). Based on my interests and career aspirations that we had talked about, they encouraged me to apply for it.
The perfect opportunity
Lee continues explaining: “I applied and I got through to interview. They then agreed at that stage that I’d be able to do the NEBOSH certification during my work hours whilst in the role if I was successful.”
After being offered the role at MHA, Lee was excited for his next steps. He said: “I couldn’t believe I’d been so lucky to have found a new job and be able to do the training I’d been wanting to do for so long.”
Making a difference
Lee said: “I’m now in a job that is ten minutes down the road. I have a higher salary that has helped with childcare and my family life. My mental health is so much better for it. It’s completely turned things around for me.
“I’m so glad I was able to find out how great a PLA can be, and the support from Careers Wales too.
“It made all the difference someone understanding what I was looking for, sending me an opportunity that was perfect for me and encouraging me to go for it.
“There could be others in the same position as me who want to upskill but haven’t considered being able to look at new opportunities to be able to do this.
“I really want to pass on how Careers Wales helped me and encourage others to reach out to them and have the same support.”
Explore Personal Learning Accounts to find out more, or Contact Working Wales.
