Hello everyone, my name is Kieran. I’m 22, I was born in Oswestry, and I’m an apprentice in the Right Home, Right Place team for planning policy in the Housing department. This is my story, from the struggle I had to where I am now.
I didn’t have an easy time in school. I had SEN because of my autism but wasn’t given additional support. I struggled as my schoolwork got harder. Halfway through year 9, I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression from the stress of the pressure to get good grades. I really struggled after that, feeling physically sick every morning knowing that I had to go into school. That’s when I started to not attend. When I did go in, I was bullied for being different. I didn’t see myself as being different, I saw myself as being unique.
In year 10, my mum went to a coffee morning held by Autism West Midlands where she learnt about Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). She asked the school why I didn’t have one and was told I didn’t need one as it was for people with problems, not naughty people. They said that if we applied, we wouldn’t get one.
Thankfully, my mum applied privately and secured an EHCP for me, but I still needed a psychologist’s report. The school wouldn’t pay the £500 for one, so my mum found the funds herself. Eventually, I got the EHCP, but the school were short-staffed so I still didn’t get the support I needed.
I left school without the grades I wanted. I went to college, and this time the EHCP meant I got the support I needed. I completed a Level 2 in Business Studies, but then came the worst three years of my life. I won’t go into details, but I often went missing and behaved in ways that don’t represent who I am as a person. These weren’t signs of a bad personality, just cries for help. I was lost. I’d gone from being a happy young man who was always laughing, to a sad, lonely person. I tried to keep everything hidden, but inside, I was hurting.
I visited a mental health unit for children to get help and that turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me. Through support and counselling, my life changed for the better in there. Lockdown also helped! I got to spend more time with my family and didn’t have a care in the world, as college was closed. I was free to go for walks in the countryside and chill out with friends.
After a two-year break from education, I felt I was ready to go back. I applied for County Training to gain employment and functional skills, including English and Maths, and then Enable found me a supported internship at Shropshire Council, which I really enjoyed. I knew then that I wanted to stay with this organisation.
I successfully applied for a Level 3 Business Administration Assistant apprenticeship in the same team, which began in February 2022. I quickly found my confidence and my people-skills grew. I felt able to take on evening classes and began studying for GCSE English at North Shropshire College.
My apprenticeship will finish later this year and I’m applying for roles within Shropshire Council because I really want to stay. I have made friends, learnt a great deal about administrative work, and my confidence, skills and prospects have skyrocketed.
If it wasn’t for County Training believing in my ability, and Enable finding me the supported internship, I don’t know where I would be today.
You can watch a video case study with Kieran that was filmed for National Apprenticeship Week 2023 on YouTube.