TNG helps young people move into employment and further education.

TNG in the Brunel Business Centre is helping deliver young people out of unemployment with its Entry to Employment (e2e) course.

TNG is one of the UK’s leading welfare to work training providers. One person who benefitted from TNG’s help is Roxanne Clarke, 16, from Milton Keynes, who was highly commended at the Skills Funding Agency's South East Learning & Skills Award for overcoming adversity.

Roxanne wanted to continue her education after school, but had to leave college to care for her disabled mother, who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis, and her brother, who has special needs.

Roxanne enrolled on the e2e course to allow her to gain qualifications without the rigid timetable of college. Roxanne, who also has arthritis, needed flexibility in her learning to allow her to fit her learning around both her family commitments and her illness.

Roxanne had a lot of responsibility for a teenager, and was shy and lacking in confidence when she first joined TNG. She was eager to learn, and threw herself into the course, gaining a City & Guild qualification in Employability, Personal and Social Development.

As part of her personal development, it was felt that Roxanne needed to develop her confidence and believe in herself. She began a work placement at the TNG office in Bletchley, where being part of a team gave her the confidence attempt new things, and it became clear that Roxanne had strong IT skills, which is something she hopes to develop with an IT course starting in the autumn.

She said, “The best thing about e2e was that it allowed me to go at my own pace, and work around my home commitments. It became my lifeline, giving me a routine, but also a sense of freedom. It was refreshing to be treated like an adult, and be shown respect. Without TNG’s support, I wouldn’t be going on to gain more qualifications.”

Dave Carson, Business Manager at TNG Milton Keynes said, “Roxanne has had to work extra hard, and display a strong level of commitment and motivation to succeed, but she did everything she was required to, and more. We are all proud of her achievements, and it was fantastic to see her commended at the Skills Funding Agency's South East Learning & Skills Awards.

“TNG has shown her how to combine her home life and learning and it is wonderful to see how she has blossomed in confidence, and to see her go on to develop new skills.”