Casey Carmichael
Casey, 20, from Perth, had been
unemployed for eight months and without support to manage her
dyslexia, her motivation was at a low. After joining The
Prince's Trust, Casey has now gained employment and
is a volunteer for two organisations working with disabled
young people.
Casey struggled to see a way forward into full
time employment as her literacy difficulties proved a constant
barrier. She had a long held aspiration to work with disabled
children and young people, to give the support she didn’t have the
confidence to ask for. This ambition became a key factor in
reigniting Casey’s motivation.
After finding out about the Team programme
through the JobCentre, Casey decided to give it a try and see if it
could help improve her employability skills.
Although nervous at first, Casey was ready for
a fresh start and soon learned that she wasn’t the only person
struggling with dyslexia and unemployment. This was a safe
environment for Casey to address her issues and she received the
support she needed. When she told her staff of her ambitions for
the future she was struck that no one believed this to be
unrealistic and was delighted to receive the right guidance to
start making it a reality.
During Team, Casey received weekly literacy
and numeracy support which is still on going and she completed work
experience as a support worker for disabled learners and is now a
volunteer for two organisations working with disabled young
people.
Casey also managed to secure employment with a
local printing business and is now a key member of the team. She
has also participated in a project to produce a book written by
people struggling with severe dyslexia, which has now been
published.
Keen still to pursue her dream of working with
disabled young people, Casey volunteers with Perth College’s
learning support team and volunteers with a local group working
with people on the autistic spectrum.
Casey plans to build on her experiences and work toward a
qualification in this field.
Champions
We would like to acknowledge the individuals or organisations
who have played a key role in helping this young person achieve
success through their Prince’s Trust programme.
- Ann Swinney, The Learning Curve
- Franny McGrath, Perth and District
YMCA
- Perth and Kinross Council