Lily was unemployed when she found her way to the COMPASS project with Argyle Community Trust. She had an ambition to work in the health and beauty sector, she had previously been enrolled at college studying hairdressing but due to personal reasons that had not been the best fit for her at the time. She lacked self-confidence but with the support she received through group sessions and activities she soon became their lead participant, always proactive and caring in group discussions and team building activities. Lily was not afraid to ask for help and was always there for other participants if they needed support.

Through the 1:1 mentoring sessions, Lily and her tutor would go through different colleges or academies that offered hairdressing and nail art courses.

“I enjoyed the mentoring sessions as I felt safe to share any concerns and felt I was provided with loads of different opportunities that were based on my passion.” – Lily.

After 12 weeks of hard work, Lily secured a place to complete a 6 week traineeship with a local hairdressing academy in St Austell where she will have 1 day of in house training and 1 day work experience in a salon, starting in June 2023. After this, Lily will be completing a diploma in hairdressing.

These programmes aim to support young people into employment that is best fitted to them and their passion within life. Lily is a prime example of a young person who has been given that empathic support to build her self-belief that everyone can achieve great things with the correct support and guidance.