For 17 years Geraldine Nicol was unemployed and raising her daughter as a single parent. While her daughter was at school she was on income support but now she has left college she has been moved on to Jobseekers Allowance and is actively seeking employment.

Confidence is a major issue for Geraldine, after being out of a working environment for almost 18 years she is nervous at the thought of returning. Jobcentre Plus has put her on a confidence course in the past but being part of a large group of people made her ill and she had to leave.

Doing the same thing day in day out was really starting to get to her and she wanted to show her daughter that going to work is an option so she came to Business Doncaster for help in improving her own life and setting an example for her daughter.

With the aid of Jobmate Steven Goodall, Geraldine is now completing a literacy and numeracy course and is really enjoying it while at the same time making friends on the course. Steven has also assisted her in completing a CV and took her through a better off calculation to help her see how getting a job will benefit her financially.

Geraldine’s confidence has increased hugely thanks to the support given to her through Business Doncaster and she now feels ready to look at the possibilities of doing work experience and placements to give her the much needed experience she will require when applying for jobs. She is also considering doing an NVQ at Doncaster College.