• Our College
    • About Walsall College
    • Alumni
    • Enterprises
    • Events
    • Governance
    • Locations
    • News & Blog
    • Our Partners
    • Policies & Procedures
    • Services For Schools
    • Term Dates – 2022/23
  • Study With Us
    • All Subjects
    • Course Search
    • Apprenticeships
    • Courses For School Leavers
    • Courses For Adults
    • Free for Jobseekers
    • Distance Learning Courses
    • University Level
    • T Levels
    • How to Apply
  • Students
    • Walsall College Graduate
    • Student Finance
    • Student Support
      • Careers Guidance for Students
      • Safeguarding
      • Pastoral support officers
      • SEND Local Offer
      • Digital Pledge
      • Deaf Academy
      • Learning Resource Centre (LRC)
      • 16 to 19 Tuition Fund
    • Enrichment
      • Students’ Union
      • Student Voice
      • Extracurricular activities
      • Volunteering
    • Ready Respect Safe
  • Parents
    • FAQs for parents
    • Pastoral support officers
    • Raising the participation age
    • Work experience
    • Working with parents
  • Employers
    • Services for Employers
    • Apprenticeships
    • Funding and Incentives
    • Employer in Every Classroom
    • FREE Courses For Your Workforce
    • Pre – Recruitment Training Programmes
    • The Apprenticeship Service
    • Offering Work Experience and T Level Industry Placements
    • Conferencing & Events
    • Meet the Team
  • Jobs
    • Current Jobs
    • Apprenticeship Jobs
  • Course Search
Contact Us
  •   Get a Prospectus
  • |
  •   Home Access
  • |
Walsall CollegeWalsall College
  • Our College
    • About Walsall College
    • Alumni
    • Enterprises
    • Events
    • Governance
    • Locations
    • News & Blog
    • Our Partners
    • Policies & Procedures
    • Services For Schools
    • Term Dates – 2022/23
  • Study With Us
    • All Subjects
    • Course Search
    • Apprenticeships
    • Courses For School Leavers
    • Courses For Adults
    • Free for Jobseekers
    • Distance Learning Courses
    • University Level
    • T Levels
    • How to Apply
  • Students
    • Walsall College Graduate
    • Student Finance
    • Student Support
      • Careers Guidance for Students
      • Safeguarding
      • Pastoral support officers
      • SEND Local Offer
      • Digital Pledge
      • Deaf Academy
      • Learning Resource Centre (LRC)
      • 16 to 19 Tuition Fund
    • Enrichment
      • Students’ Union
      • Student Voice
      • Extracurricular activities
      • Volunteering
    • Ready Respect Safe
  • Parents
    • FAQs for parents
    • Pastoral support officers
    • Raising the participation age
    • Work experience
    • Working with parents
  • Employers
    • Services for Employers
    • Apprenticeships
    • Funding and Incentives
    • Employer in Every Classroom
    • FREE Courses For Your Workforce
    • Pre – Recruitment Training Programmes
    • The Apprenticeship Service
    • Offering Work Experience and T Level Industry Placements
    • Conferencing & Events
    • Meet the Team
  • Jobs
    • Current Jobs
    • Apprenticeship Jobs
  • Course Search

Adults 19 Plus

Home » Case Studies » Spotlight on Talent : Amanda Smith

Spotlight on Talent : Amanda Smith

  • Categories Adults 19 Plus, Case Studies, Construction & the Built Environment, Employability
  • Date 4th November 2019

Adult education has been 100% life changing for Amanda Smith.

Following a seven-year career break, the single mum of six gained further skills and discovered a flair for building maintenance.  This resulted in her starting a new role as a carpentry apprentice at leading Midlands’ landlord whg.

The opportunity came about after she completed whg’s UPLIFT women into construction programme, delivered in partnership with Walsall College and the DWP.

The programme aims to give women the skills they need to get into a trade along with a work placement to give them on-site experience. 82% of past participants have secured jobs as a result, with five being offered apprenticeships within whg’s maintenance teams.

“It feels like this is my time,” said Amanda.  “Now that my children are all of school age, I want to start doing more for myself and finding out what I can achieve.”

42-year-old Amanda wasn’t always so determined.  A period of depression during 2017 left her with a lack of motivation that left her unwilling to leave her home.

This changed when she was referred to The Workplace, whg’s dedicated learning centre for supporting individuals into work, training or volunteering.  Amanda slowly recovered her self-esteem through a series of short courses relating to first aid, food safety and catering.

Finding a sense of purpose through these courses, Amanda didn’t hesitate to put herself forward for the DIY course followed by a construction skills diploma course, English and maths qualifications that became crucial to her career kickstart.

“A lack of female construction employees was something whg wanted to address,” explained Amanda.  “I was one of 12 people to sign up for UPLIFT which was helping unemployed women train for and find work in building services.

“I absolutely loved the course.  We covered guttering, tiling, bricklaying – all the basic principles of construction.  I also spent two weeks on placement with CLC.  Being offered the apprenticeship at the end of the course was just amazing.”

 

         

Going abroad together on holiday for the first time and being able to fix things around the house are just two of the ways that things have improved for Amanda and her family.

She continued: “Things seem to be falling into place for me now. I’m working, expressing myself creatively through my personal DIY projects and I’m still studying.

“It’s all thanks to the support of the people around me, who helped me find the courage to push myself.

“My advice to others is never to say you can’t do something because actually you can.  Just go for it and see what happens.”

 

Tag:adult-education, apprentice, carpentry, employability, UPLIFT, whg

  • Share:
author avatar
Shobby Patel

Previous post

Next Gen Makers inspire student engineers
4th November 2019

Next post

Stefan and Luke set for cyberskills competition challenge
5th November 2019

You may also like

Ann Bills preferred shot web
Spotlight on Talent – Ann Bills
6 February, 2023
Reena Farmah web
Spotlight on Talent – Reena Farmah
25 November, 2022
Ismail & Rex web
Spotlight on Talent – Ishmail Hussain and Rex Jeffries
14 November, 2022

News & Blog Search

News, Blog & Case Studies

  • A-Level-hybrid-programme
  • Cannock
  • Case Studies
    • A-Levels
    • Access to HE
    • Administration Customer Care Law and Retail
    • Adults 19 Plus
      • Cannock
      • Community Learning
    • Apprenticeships
    • Art & Design and Photography
    • Automotive
    • Aviation, Travel & Tourism
    • Bricklaying
    • Business Finance and Enterprise
    • Computing & ICT
    • Construction & the Built Environment
    • Dental
    • Distance Learning
    • Early Years
    • Electrical Installation
    • Employability
    • Employers
    • Engineering
    • English and Maths
    • ESOL and Community Interpretation
    • Fashion
    • Hairdressing & Barbering
    • Health & Social Care
    • Horticulture and Floristry
    • Hospitality
    • Industry Placement
    • Law
    • Media
    • Music & Performing Arts
    • Painting and Decorating
    • Pharmacy
    • Plastering
    • Plumbing and Gas
    • Public Services
    • School Leavers
    • School Leavers
    • Science
    • Signmaking
    • Sport
    • Student Support
    • Supported Learning
    • T Levels
    • Teacher Training
    • University Level
    • Walsall College staff
  • Community Learning
    • Connecting Communities
  • Connecting Communities
  • Construction College Midlands
  • Law
  • News & Blog
    • 16-19s
    • 19 Plus
    • A Levels
    • Access To He
    • Administration, Customer Care, Law and Retail
    • Apprenticeships
    • Art & Design and Photography
    • Automotive
    • Aviation, Travel & Tourism
    • Beauty
    • Bricklaying
    • Business Finance and Enterprise
    • carpentry
    • community learning
    • Computing & ICT
    • Construction & the Built Environment
    • Construction College Midlands
    • Creative
    • Dental
    • Distance Learning
    • E-Sports
    • Early Years
    • Electrical Installation
    • Employability
    • Employer News
    • Engineering
    • English and Maths
    • ESOL and Community Interpretation
    • Fashion
    • Graphic Design
    • Hairdressing & Barbering
    • Health & Social Care
    • Horticulture and Floristry
    • Hospitality
    • Industry Placement
    • Media
    • Music & Performing Arts
    • Pharmacy
    • Photography
    • Plumbing and Gas
    • Public Services
    • Science
    • Signmaking
    • Sport
    • Student Support
    • Supported Learning
    • T Levels
    • Teacher Training
    • Uncategorised
    • University Level
    • Young People (14-16)
  • Painting and Decorating
  • Protective Services
  • Traineeships
  • Warehousing

logo-walsall college

Walsall College,
Wisemore Campus,
Littleton Street West,
Walsall,
WS2 8ES

01922 657000

info@walsallcollege.ac.uk

Corporate

  • Governance
  • Meet The Governors
  • Ofsted
  • Partners
  • Policies & Procedures
  • Privacy Policy
  • Services For Schools

Legal

  • Disclaimer
  • Cookie Policy
  • Cookie Settings
  • Complaints Procedure
  • Site Map
  • General Conditions of Purchase
  • Accessibility Statement

Staff & Students

  Home Access

ceop

Social Media

Keep in Touch...

We use cookies to collect information about how you use our website.
We use this information to make the website work as well as possible and to improve our services. If you accept all of our cookies you will be accepting advertising, performance and analytics cookies.
You can find more information in our cookie policy.
Accept All Set Preferences Cookie Policy
Cookie Settings

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorised as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyse and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.

For more information please read our cookie policy
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. You may disable these by changing your browser settings, but this may affect how the website functions.

Some pages use eventbrite as a booking service. We use essential 1st party cookies from eventbrite.com and related top level domains. Please see eventbrites cookie policy for further details.

You may disable eventbrite cookies by changing your browser settings, but this may affect how the website functions.

Advertisement

These cookies are used to deliver adverts more relevant to you and your interests. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advertisement as well as help measure the effectiveness of the advertising campaign.

Performance

Use this toggle to the left to manage how your browser uses performance cookies. on this website.

Analytics

We’d like to set analytic cookies to help us to improve our website by collecting and reporting information on how you use it. For more information on how these cookies work please see our privacy policy.

Save & Accept