CLaSS

Waltham Forest Community Learning & Skills Service

Mohammed - My Success Story

Mohammed at work placement

I found out about ClaSS at Chestnuts House through Connexions, which provides all different kinds of opportunities of young people and adults from various ages to help to apply for jobs, courses, careers, advising them in education etc.

Chestnuts House is the place where I could achieve my NVQ Level 2 Apprenticeship in Business Administration. Once I had been accepted to Chestnuts House, I had to complete the Entry To Employment (E2E) programme, which was a starter towards the course, improving your own learning and development skills. I had to complete this in order for me to become an apprentice, that would mean that I would work 4 days a week, and the other day I would go to Chestnuts House to complete my NVQ Level 2 portfolio.

The support that I received from Chestnuts House was great as my placement officer always encouraged me to be at my best and provided me with many opportunities to complete my course.

I had a maximum of 15 months to complete my NVQ Level 2, but I completed it in 10 months, this was a positive thing for me as I also applied for the job, which I was working at, and I was successful in the interview and got offered the job. So I now have a current 12 months contract in my job and am enjoying my job.

  • "I want more cooking skills and I want to learn how to follow a recipe."

    "I'm useless in the kitchen. That's why I'm here. I attempt to cook for my family - but I'm no good at it."
  • "It's the highlight of the week. I really look forward to my Spanish class - and it feels great being able to speak Spanish in Spain."
  • "The standard of most work is excellent, with some better described as exceptional."

    City and Guilds examiner reporting on CLaSS's fashion and textiles work.
  • "I'm getting on for 84 now. I couldn't believe my luck last year when I realised I could attend basic computer classes. I started with the complete basics and I now have qualifications in word processing and databases - and have started my own blog."
  • "My friends in other parts of London are astonished by what you can do here in Waltham Forest. The British Wheel of Yoga Foundation course was inspirational - and I am now well on the way to becoming a fully qualified yoga teacher. Carry on the good work, CLaSS!"
  • "My brother was born deaf. None of us - my parents or my other brothers - ever learnt sign language. I can't believe that now. It seems so wrong. Now thanks to CLaSS I've really learnt to communicate properly with my brother"
  • "I work at an estate agents as a receptionist. I mentioned I was taking a photography course with CLaSS and now I do all the property shoots. I'm even getting paid a bit more!"
  • "I speak four languages and have been an interpreter for five years - but I've never had any formal training before now. This course is amazing - if we discuss something on our course one week,it always comes up at work the next - like not going inside the house before the social worker arrives."
  • "Parenting courses are great! You realise that everyone has the same worries as you - and that there are practical strategies you can learn that really do work. I thank the Lord for the Calm Parent - Calm Children course I attended."
  • "I cook - but I don't follow recipes and amounts. My daughter is doing cookery GCSE at school and I'd like to help her with that."