"We want to work" ... Case Studies (From thisisoxfordshire)
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"We want to work" ... Case Studies
10:20am Monday 17th September 2012 in News
Takeetha Forster
CASE STUDIES
TAKEETHA FORSTER, 27, from Wood Farm
Looking for work in: Catering, hospitality, bar, as kitchen assistant, in customer service and retail
Experience: Retail sales assistant, money handling, till work, food preparation, customer service
Qualifications: Educated to secondary school level [no GCSEs]. Completed an A4e course in care work
City and Guild qualification in IT
MUM-of-two Takeetha Forster is hoping her love and experience of cooking will help land her a job in the catering industry.
The 27-year-old from Wood Farm has been out of work since having her first child, Ciara, six, and becoming a full-time mum.
She went on to have a second daughter, Summer, aged three.
The keen baker’s last job was bar work and front-of-house work at Gala bingo, where she worked for a year.
With past retail and food preparation experience, Ms Forster is hoping the skills she has learned will stand her in good stead with potential employers in those industries.
Ms Forster, who lives with her partner Steven, said: “I have been cooking since I was seven.
“If I read a recipe once, I can remember it.
“I do enjoy cooking – my favourites really are cakes and sweets. I like making them – my kids love them!”
She added: “I am friendly, willing to learn new skills and I have some retail experience.
“If I got a job, my daughters will be so happy because I would have more money to spend on them.
“It has been hard because I was used to working and it was a big change to be stuck at home with kids. Also, my eldest is at school now and youngest at nursery, which leaves me at home.
“I am quite keen to work, I don’t want to be on the dole – I would rather be out there working.”
In her spare time, she has helped elderly neighbours by shopping and cleaning.
GRAHAM BATES, 20, from Botley
Looking for an apprenticeship or work in: Outdoor ground maintenance
Experience: Six months working for a ground maintenance company until June 2011.
No qualifications .
AFTER more than 2,000 applications and 80 interviews, dad-of-one Graham Bates is still determined to find a gardening job.
The 20-year-old from Botley is hoping to find employment to support his seven-month-old son Jayden and partner Joanne Parrott, 20.
He has been out of work for more than a year, after his first and only job – a six-month contract with a ground maintenance company – ended in June 2011.
Mr Bates said: “At the moment I am out of work because I have been caring for my son and my partner who had bad post-natal depression.
“But she is getting better so I am actively looking for work.”
The keen gardener has turned his life around after getting into gang crime and becoming addicted to cannabis and alcohol as a teenager.
Free of addictions, he said: “When I was 18 I got out of the gangs and started to settle down and think what I wanted to do with my life.”
He said it’s been impossible to get a job because of his lack of GCSEs .
But Mr Bates said: “I don’t have any qualifications on paper, but I have knowledge on how to do things. Anything to do with gardening, I can do. I am very willing to learn and I want to learn new skills and build on my knowledge.”
He wants to gain experience through work placements or an apprenticeship.
He hopes eventually to gain enough experience and skills to start his own business.
WE WANT TO WORK . . .
Graham Bates, 20, from Botley, looking for work as a gardener
Jacob Ayres, 21, from Iffley, wants job as a cleaner or labourer
Peter Stopps, 23, from Drayton, looking for a catering role or work in a warehouse
Claire Harris, 19, from Kennington, looking for work in animal care, catering or retail
Phillip Ridgley, 48, from Barton, looking for work in retail or care work
Takeetha Forster, 27, from Wood Farm, looking for work in retail, catering or a bar
Daniel Lawson-May, 39, from Cowley, looking for administration work
Bishna Rai, 44, from Rose Hill, looking for work in professional cleaning (industrial and domestic), security or in a warehouse
Sameena Hussain, 33, from Marston, looking for work as a receptionist or administrator or a customer service role
Dawn Bartlett, 37, from Alvescot, looking for work in care, but would also consider roles cleaning, waitressing and bar work
Monica Montanari, 48, from Blackbird Leys, looking for work in retail
Eileen Lavery, 47, from Didcot, looking for a catering role, bar work or factory work
Comments(7)
Andrew:Oxford
says...
1:02pm Mon 17 Sep 12
McDave wrote:Sometimes people were simply not right for school at the time.
As ever it boils down to education. The first two readily admit that they have no qualifications from school. They may wish to have a job but if an employer can't see what they are capable of then they are only seen as a risk. You reap what you sow.
It all becomes a bit different when you are suddenly helping a child with their homework.
OCVC have some great evening classes - best of all once you are an adult you can choose a course because you want to learn, not because you are forced to learn.
One hint though, as an employer, if I had two equal candidates in front of me - one with (non-faith) facial piercings and one without. I'd go for without - same with visible tattoos.
father dowling
says...
1:45pm Mon 17 Sep 12
King Joke
says...
5:16pm Mon 17 Sep 12
Andrew:Oxford wrote:Why? Your customers are unlikely to be so judgemental, so why should you be?
McDave wrote: As ever it boils down to education. The first two readily admit that they have no qualifications from school. They may wish to have a job but if an employer can't see what they are capable of then they are only seen as a risk. You reap what you sow.Sometimes people were simply not right for school at the time. It all becomes a bit different when you are suddenly helping a child with their homework. OCVC have some great evening classes - best of all once you are an adult you can choose a course because you want to learn, not because you are forced to learn. One hint though, as an employer, if I had two equal candidates in front of me - one with (non-faith) facial piercings and one without. I'd go for without - same with visible tattoos.
ger elttil OX2 0EJ
says...
6:07pm Mon 17 Sep 12
King Joke wrote:That is society Mr King. Say you are walking home from the pub at 2am. 50 yards in front of you are a bunch of skinheads, on the other side of the road are a group of Ladies, do you carry on walking or cross the Road? If you answer that truthfully Mr King, then you answer your own judgemental question.
Andrew:Oxford wrote:Why? Your customers are unlikely to be so judgemental, so why should you be?
McDave wrote: As ever it boils down to education. The first two readily admit that they have no qualifications from school. They may wish to have a job but if an employer can't see what they are capable of then they are only seen as a risk. You reap what you sow.Sometimes people were simply not right for school at the time. It all becomes a bit different when you are suddenly helping a child with their homework. OCVC have some great evening classes - best of all once you are an adult you can choose a course because you want to learn, not because you are forced to learn. One hint though, as an employer, if I had two equal candidates in front of me - one with (non-faith) facial piercings and one without. I'd go for without - same with visible tattoos.
Bladder
says...
10:52pm Mon 17 Sep 12
comments on here about these people
who are looking for work.
I left school in the mid seventies with
no qualifications and was given a chance which i went on to be a skilled mechanic.Do not forget we were all young ounce and at least they are looking for work and not under some flyover jacking up or mugging some defenseless old lady or bur-glaring their houses.
McDave
says...
7:52am Tue 18 Sep 12
McDave says...
10:57am Mon 17 Sep 12