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Bridge to Employment - Areeba's Story
Our vision continues to revolve around empowering refugees and migrants who reside in the UK to lead self-sufficient and ambitious lives and one of our flagship initiatives, the Bridge to Employment program, exemplifies this commitment. Funded by Comic Relief, this pre-employment training program is designed to equip participants with the skills and experience needed to thrive in the hospitality industry.
Participants receive placement opportunities in renowned hotels across Bristol and Bath, gaining invaluable on-the-job training and insights. Following their placements, candidates are offered the chance to interview for permanent positions. To ensure long-term success, we provide six months of continuous support, helping them navigate their new roles and advance in their careers.
Today, we are excited to share the story of Areeba, one of our remarkable participants. Areeba found herself navigating a new life far from her homeland of Pakistan. Leaving behind familiar comforts for religious reasons, she and her mother sought refuge in the welcoming city of Bristol, hoping for a fresh start.
Soon after she arrived in Bristol, a friend suggested she visit ACH’s career advisor so that she could start building her confidence and find a job. That’s when Areeba was introduced to the “Bridge to Employment” programme.
This innovative programme has been created to support refugees into sustainable employment, and the one which Areeba attended was specifically focused on the hospitality sector.
Excited about the chance to work in hospitality, Areeba dove into pre-employment training, soaking up advice from experienced professionals. She found this very inspirational, especially the motivational talks delivered by the different members of staff of the hotel, where they explained their experience in the different departments and gave them tips on how to react in difficult situations. One thing stuck with her: the importance of wearing a smile, even through tough times.
Areeba’s relationship with us at ACH has been very productive from the very beginning. One of our career advisors helped her with her CV and assessed her skill set to find the best job for her. She is very grateful that we went the extra mile and helped her with her Home Office paperwork whilst waiting to receive her refugee status.
Areeba is very excited about what the future will bring her, she intends to settle in the UK and find a job that makes her happy.
“ACH was the key to be successful when I came to the UK” - Areeba