Joshua found Making The Leap while on Universal Credit, but was open-minded to trying out the ACE programme. After throwing himself in 100% to the workshop, Joshua found a job within two weeks of it finishing, and now has his dream role as a football journalist within the social media team at Sky Sports.
“I was finding things pretty hard… then Gareth explained what Making The Leap does”
“I started the ACE programme in September 2022 – I heard about it was because I was on Universal Credit at the time. I was attending Job Centre meetings, and I was finding things pretty hard, especially because it was a post-Covid climate. People were only just starting to go back into the office and the jobs weren’t as available in the sectors I wanted to be in.
“I was on Universal Credit, going to meetings, and it was there that I met Gareth. We had a chat and he explained everything about what Making The Leap does and how they’re trying to positively impact young people and give them the tools to reacclimatise to the work environment.”
“After the first day I realised I was out of my depth… in a good way. It was probably the most impactful three weeks of my life.”
“The ACE Programme was one of the most enlightening experiences I’d had. Going in, you have assumptions in terms of thinking: ‘I don’t need to learn to speak in front of people, I’ve done that.’ But it was more about reconnecting. After the first day I realised I was out of my depth, in a good way, and felt like I had progress to be made.
“I had an amazing class, and everyone got on well and supported each other. The three weeks flew by – we were all just throwing ourselves into it, everyday showing up and giving it our all. I remember thinking at the end of it that it was probably the most impactful three weeks of my life just in terms of getting my self-confidence back professionally and personally, meeting people again, engaging with people, and getting to know people.
“It just gives you that skill and confidence back that you can actually go out into the workplace and make a success of yourself. They give you all the tools to do that.”
“Now, when I walk into a room, the pressure is halved.”
“Professionally, it was about making sure when you’re in rooms with certain people, you have the confidence to know that you’re equipped to converse and actually pitch your own ideas. In the programme they give you that belief in yourself to do that. Now when I walk into a room the pressure is halved because you’ve done it before, and you’ve done it with people who are looking out for you and have 100% faith in you and want you to do well.
“After the workshop, Making The Leap do Job Search Wednesdays. In the first one I attended, there was an opportunity for a six-month internship at Paramount Pictures, which was the field I wanted to be in. They set me up with a previous fellow who worked at Paramount and we met and they put me through some interviews. I ended up getting a job there for six months – that was two weeks after the course ended – it just goes to show they really are looking out for you and they’re doing all they can.
“Paramount were interested in keeping me, but I actually got accepted for a role at Sky Sports, and that was the ultimate dream I had since a kid. I left Paramount but made great contacts and that led me to my role here today. When I first got the job at Sky, it was a year in the content academy – like an apprenticeship but you experience working in different teams. I got promoted in November 2024 and I’m now a Football Journalist. I’m now three months into my first full-time role – I’m absolutely loving it.”
“You may feel shame, but be open-minded. It’s the best group of people you’ll find… they want the best for you.”
“The thing that allowed me to get the most out of the ACE programme is being open-minded. It’s completely understandable coming in if you feel a certain way, maybe a bit of shame, maybe a bit upset. But it’s the best group of people you’ll find because they actually want the best for you and want you to succeed. If you have an open mind, you’ll be able to achieve so many things, personally and professionally. If you give everything 100%, you’re going to get something out of it that you didn’t even realise going in.
“The most important thing each day is to make sure you’re committed, you’re showing up with the right attitude and then 100% you’ll get something out of it.”
“At Making The Leap, everyone was available. Nobody was going through the motions.”
“Sometimes you walk into a place, and you can see people are just going through the motions, but I can honestly say not one person at Making The Leap was doing that – everyone was available, putting in whatever they needed too to help us. For me those days on the programme were the most impactful. We went to the BNP Paribas offices and we did mock interviews and presentations. We also went to StepStone, who put on a nice event for us. Those days are the things that really bring a lot of people out of their shell. To physically go to these places and put what we’ve learned it into practice, it’s so impactful. I remember coming out of those days thinking I progressed a lot.”
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