This week marks the end of Micah’s third Recruitability Programme of 2025. I actually wrote this post at the end of the second, but such is charity work that busyness sometimes obscures us from telling our story. It’s something I’m working on. The story of Micah’s employment project still rings true, so here goes:
The sense of celebration and achievement has been difficult to capture in words, but it has been so wonderful to share in the journey and hear the stories from attendees. The course generally has a particularly high retention rate – and this time it was 100%. That isn’t unusual, but also not taken for granted.
The programme takes a lot of hard work. My colleague, Jayne, works her socks off recruiting participants, helping write CVs, delivering sessions alongside our partners, 3D training, arranging mock interviews and volunteer placements. However, my time at Micah has taught me that it’s something else that makes the course so successful. It’s the nurture and care shown to each participant that makes a difference – by both Jayne and her colleague Heather.
There are a myriad of reasons why someone might join the Recruitability Programme, but there are themes between attendees. These include long term unemployment, caring responsibilities, mental or physical health issues. This makes the nurture and care all the more important. Whilst the Recruitability programme is like a well-oiled machine, with its schedules, lesson plans and systems, the course is still able to mould and shape around the individuals. It’s a beacon for group learning.
The learners become a community. From a wide range of different backgrounds and experiences, the safe space created enables an openness, a curiosity and a willingness to learn from others. As politicians consider where best to invest state funding when resources are limited, it’s the outcomes that are the focus – job outcomes and enrolment in further education are what is often measured. Yes, the Recruitability does get good outcomes, but it can sometimes take a few months after the course finishes before a participant receives a secure job offer.
What has changed and what doesn’t generally attract funding, is the nurture and care. From my observations and involvement, this is what makes a difference. The community within the programme helps people feel better about themselves, feel less lonely, feel they can contribute something to society, feel valuable, feel part of a community. There’s a key moment in every Recruitability programme and it doesn’t happen in the classroom. It’s when the group can have a tour of the Cathedral tower. It’s the conversations that happen on the way. It’s the shared experience of taking in the amazing views. This time around, thanks to Torus Foundation funding, Micah was able to offer another trip. As we’ve seen before, the conversations flowed and the thoughts of what is possible increased. Fittingly both trips have an incredible vista – from the Cathedral Tower and the Royal Liver Building – 360 degree views. When we face challenges, we often need others to help us believe in ourselves, to champion us, to achieve far more than we could ever imagine.
At a time when in-work poverty has increased*, a secure job does not promise an end to challenges. The nurture and care needs to continue beyond any 10 week course.