Meet Our Ambassadors: Jordan
Meet Elsa, George, Jordan and Jonathan – our new Engage to Change project ambassadors! Following an application and interview process, they were appointed in May 2018 and made their first appearances as ambassadors at our Annual Awards events in June. All four are participating or have participated in the Engage to Change project prior to becoming ambassadors. Here are their stories in their own words. This time, read Jordan’s story.
Jordan
I moved to Wales from Essex in October 2015, I wanted a job but was low in confidence and had no previous work experience. I was made aware of Engage to Change via a social group organised by the National Autistic Society and applied to go on it.
I started with Engage to Change in October 2016. In January 2017 I was offered a work placement at the SHARE Centre in Newport which led to a paid job a month later that lasted for a year. This was an administrative job in which I gained a lot of experience and improved my confidence.
Shortly after the job finished, I became aware of a position as a project ambassador for Engage to Change. I was nervous applying for this job as I’ve experienced disappointments in the past. I finally got the courage to apply and was accepted for an interview. I got very anxious leading up to the interview and in the end I couldn’t attend. Engage to Change made an allowance for me in that they came to my house to put me at ease. We conducted the interview in a coffee shop. I felt much more confident doing this.
I was told there and then that I got the job and I felt elated as a result. My first role as an ambassador was to travel to North Wales for an awards ceremony. I was a bit nervous to start with as it was new to me and I didn’t know what I was doing. During this trip I learned a lot about the fantastic work our partners have done with this project and met some really great people there who showed passion for this project whether it was job coaches, family members etc. I did pretty much the same thing in Cardiff a few days later. I felt more confident as I was more familiar with the city, the role as an ambassador and I was more confident meeting new people. I had a really great time and enjoyed myself in both North Wales and in Cardiff.
I could not have done this without the support of ELITE and in particular Lewis Greenaway who has supported me since I first came on to the project. I also would like to thank All Wales People First for giving me this opportunity and I feel proud to be an ambassador.
On a personal level the project has made me much more confident in dealing with people and has given me the experience to hopefully get a full time job in the near future.