Raza, 20, came to Centrepoint following a family breakdown where he ended up sofa surfing. Whilst living with Centrepoint, he was referred to the CP Works team and has recently completed his security training. He's now looking forward to putting his qualification to use and finding a role in security.
Coming to Centrepoint
Raza, 20, has been with Centrepoint for two years after finding himself homeless at 17 following a family breakdown which meant that he could no longer stay at home. He was just about to turn 18 and found himself sofa surfing with friends for a few days at a time. After a while, he let his college know that he was homeless, and they were able to support him with making applications for support.
“When I first got kicked out, I had to sleep in random people’s houses for a few days until I got here. I had to let my college know that I was homeless, so they made all the appointments and stuff”.
Being referred to CP Works
After a year of living with Centrepoint, Raza was first referred to the CP Works team to apply for his SIA training, an essential security qualification. He was drawn to work in security as he liked how varied it was and how many different people he could meet whilst doing the role. However, the first time he applied for the course he unfortunately was not successful in getting the qualification, something that could have been a setback for him.
Undeterred, Raza, along with the CP Works team looked for opportunities where he could gain some practical experience in security before applying for the training the following year. He completed a few different work placements at outdoor festivals and large scale events to gain some confidence and meet potential future employers. “I learnt quite a lot from it as well, we did bag searches and everything and I got to speak to a lot of different people and experience something new”.
Getting his qualification
Before Raza applied again for the SIA qualification, Michelle, his CP Works advisor, identified that he might benefit from having some additional support around maths and English. With the help of the training team, he’s been completing his functional skills courses to help him take steps towards his future job goals and feel more confident in the working world. “I’ve caught up on my English and maths now which is quite good because now I can just move on in life and just start working.”
Raza completed his SIA qualification at the beginning of this year and recently found out that he had passed the training, something he was incredibly proud of. “To be honest I was nervous because I thought I was going to fail again. But this time, I put my head down and put the work in. I actually smashed it out this time”.
Looking to the future
Raza is now excited about the opportunities open to him and starting to look for roles he can start applying for. He’s also been practicing for his driving test, something that he hopes will open even more doors for him in the future. He’s grateful for the help and support he’s had from the CP Works team, who’ve been there to help him at every stage. “They’ve helped out so much with my SIA and I’m so happy with that. I can start working in the future with that as well which is something I’m so grateful for”.
When thinking about his future, Raza is excited and hopeful for what he has ahead of himself. “I just want to see myself doing well in life. I see people living and they do nothing with their life, and I don’t want to be in that situation. I want to be a better person and do stuff with my life”.
We’re so proud of everything that Raza has achieved and his perseverance in getting his qualification and can’t wait to see what he does next.
Make a donation
With your donation, we can help more young people like Raza get the skills and experiences they need to reach their goals.
