Springboard Programme: Diageo Learning for Life

Region: Scotland

Year: 2022

Winner of the Fiona Colley Trainee of the Year Award at the Springboard Awards for Excellence 2024

“When Springboard called me to offer me a place on the Springboard Diageo Learning for Life course, I couldn’t believe my ears. I had been so worried that they wouldn’t be able to take me on because of my health conditions but they made certain to reassure me that they were going to be there for me and support me no matter what, and it was finally a breath of fresh air.

For almost 2 years before the course, I was struggling to get accepted anywhere due to my Tourette’s and non-epileptic seizures causing too many health and safety concerns not only for employers but unfortunately also for colleges. No matter where I went, I would always face the same issue of health and safety policies or occupational health reports coming back and saying due to the nature of my conditions I just wasn’t suitable for the job despite either being offered an unconditional offer or the job prior. I had almost given up hope but then the course came along, and it has honestly changed my life.

At the start of the course, we were given an activity to help us reflect and evaluate our hopes, fears, and objectives. I hoped that I would be able to gain connections with various people and places in the hospitality industry, opportunities would open in terms of future development and career prospects, and that I would be able to prove to employers that I could be a valuable and dependable employee. I can confirm all of these things have happened within the 3-week course and I am currently about to start a 1-week placement at Johnnie Walker’s due to all of the skills I have learned and an employer giving me a chance to show that I will be a valuable employee.

At the start of the course, I had been worried about being able to show good time-keeping skills due to relying on public transport, as I was travelling from Dunfermline to Edinburgh every day. I was also worried that my health would interfere with completing the course and finding employment and that I wouldn’t be able to absorb all of the information and skills being taught to us. I can happily say that I was able to overcome all of my fears and I was on time every day as well as I was able to finish the course (I have the certificate to prove it!) and if you asked me, I would be able to tell you all about Scottish Licensing, food safety, safe drinking and much more!

Finally, my objectives at the start of the course were to gain employment, obtain a placement at Johnnie Walker, learn new skills and gain confidence. As for learning new skills and getting a placement at Johnnie Walker, I am proud to say I definitely achieved that, as for confidence, I don’t think I would have even considered writing this with the knowledge it might be shared with others at the start of the course. I now have the confidence that I will find employment and have the skills to do so and so far, I seem to be making some headway with that which is incredibly exciting! I no longer feel as if I need to break down the door. Springboard gave me the key and now I can walk through without having to worry.

My ultimate ambition is to be able to be independent and do whatever I want to do. Currently, my ambition is to be working part-time whilst being able to go back to school and work towards becoming a pharmacist. This is not to say my ambition won’t change over time, but I know for a fact that without the help of Springboard, I would have never been able to start making progress on achieving both of those things, at least not without a fight. At the start of the course, I was excited and nervous and honestly, none of those things has changed apart from now I have confidence and I know that I have people advocating for me.”