Selina’s two year apprenticeship has led to a ten-year career plan

Bromford runs its Opportunities 4 Employment (O4E) programme which helps customers into work, giving them six months paid work experience and the chance of a two-year apprenticeship. Each placement is supported to develop personal and employability skills in the workplace with a view to leading to permanent employment.

Bromford runs its Opportunities 4 Employment (O4E) programme which helps customers into work, giving them six months paid work experience and the chance of a two-year apprenticeship. Each placement is supported to develop personal and employability skills in the workplace with a view to leading to permanent employment.

Selina is one of the first customers to enrol on O4E and says it has "opened up a whole lot of opportunities and bridged the gap from studying into employment." After gaining a 2.1 degree in Accounting and Finance at Birmingham City University in 2011, Selina, aged 31, sent nearly 200 applications for jobs without success. "I kept being told I was either too qualified or I lacked the experience required. I attended some interviews where I didn't even get any feedback at all."

Just as she felt like giving up, Selina was then accepted on Bromford's O4E programme in the financial accounting team and life is now looking up. She says: "Although I found it daunting at first, everyone made me so welcome I could quickly be myself. My six-month placement has led to a two-year apprenticeship and I have been offered a role that is ideally suited to my studies to become a qualified accountant. Bromford is giving me the necessary support that I need to gain this qualification. I could not have asked for more.

"I am so glad that Bromford has identified where I want to go with my career and I'm really happy.

"This role is looking ahead for the next five to ten years and even though I'm only on the first few steps, my life is now just the way I want it to be, everything's just perfect! Bromford has given me the opportunity to be where I want to be."