Having been made redundant from her job at Thorntons, Sue has used the skills and confidence gained from our Career Development Programme to change careers and carve out a better work life balance.

Why did you sign up for Career Development Programme?

I had seen a Facebook advert which talked about how to improve your team leading skills. So, I signed up to Chwarae Teg’s career development programme, excited to learn, when a month later I received the shock announcement that our store would be closing, and my entire team was to be made redundant.

Thankfully, despite the redundancy, I was able to continue with the programme, I was on Day 2 at this point and it had already helped with my mind set, and for me to improve my team’s experience through this difficult period and our final few weeks together.

What did the programme do for you?

With the encouragement and support I got my fellow participants, and the amazing Kath Foot (my Learning Development Partner), I have had the confidence to grow and learn totally new skills. I started by volunteering for Citizens Advice, putting into practice the skills I had learnt on the programme; effective communication, conflict handling, and my new found knowledge of personal development planning.

I’ve since gained a part-time role with Citizens Advice. Financially my income is not as high, but if I took an average of my hours worked against pay, I am definitely better off.

What would you say to women considering signing up for the programme?

Chwarae Teg deliver an amazing programme for women from all walks of life and career levels. It is eye opening to discover how you work and perform; you will learn about yourself, how you interact and work with others and it will introduce you to a more flexible way of thinking and working.