National Careers Week – Trainee Bricklayer gets knocked down, but is now building his future one brick at a time

 National Careers Week #NCW2021 and @QubeLearning – Trainee Bricklayer gets knocked down, but is now building his future one brick at a time 

This National Careers Week, Ciaran Lloyd Fleming, from Bradford, celebrates after making life changing steps, when he took on a volunteering role, working on the garden of his future manager at Eco Build, and can now look back confidently, as a qualified Trainee, knowing that he made the right decision and has no regrets.

Predicted grade A* GCSEs, Ciaran was to follow a more conventional route into education, but on results day he was shocked to see quite a different outcome from what he expected. Also, with dreams of being a footballer, Ciaran was involved with Leeds United, Huddersfield Town and Barnsley academies, and was shattered when this did not happen. Born out of feelings of failure, Ciaran took a destructive path and found solace in alcohol and made bad choices. As the world went into lockdown, Ciaran was inevitably at home a lot more and found himself engaging positively with his family, and spending quality time with loved ones. This encouraged his outlook on life to shift.

Offered voluntary work by his sister’s partner, Ciaran embraced the opportunity to learn something new. He was shown that you must believe in yourself to see a change, and from that moment on, he looked optimistically to the future. Ciaran then decided to start a Traineeship programme with a provider, who unfortunately let him down. He was then referred to leading national Recruitment and Training Solutions provider, Qube Learning, which is when he noticed that outside of his family, people did care and wanted to see him succeed.

Shortly after, Ciaran was made aware of a possible job opportunity as a Bricklayer. That night, Ciaran went home and discussed it with his mum, and within 48 hours had shown interest and was soon embarking on a new role as Trainee Bricklayer. His Employer said: ‘I knew Ciaran was a grafter, so I was happy he used the initiative to put himself forward’. Doing manual labour and seeing the end results of what he can do, has given Ciaran pride and the realisation that he is not a failure.

Ciaran says: ‘Not passing my GCSEs presented many obstacles for me. But, after a few bumps, I found my way and couldn’t happier with the choices I have made. I now articulate my feelings better and can communicate with people well, as I finally see myself as an equal. My boss and I have a great relationship, he tells me all the time that I am doing great and will achieve my goal to be a professional in the trade.

‘Recently passing my Level 1 Maths and English to enrol on an Apprenticeship programme, I continue to surprise myself with what I am capable of. I sat down every night for a month and revised, with the aim of passing the assessment, and I did! Qube Learning and my Employer have really supported me and helped build my confidence. I would definitely recommend a Traineeship to anyone’.

Qube Learning Youth Development Tutor says: ‘Working with Ciaran has been incredible; he has grown so much since joining Eco Build and I have seen him really come on leaps and bounds. His personal journey and courage really are something to celebrate, and he is great example of what it is to keep going, despite encountering setbacks along the way. We hope he is an inspiration for individuals, this National Careers Week. We are excited to see what lies ahead for him and hope the future is bright.

‘At Qube Learning, we work with individuals from many backgrounds, and we commit ourselves to helping them meet their goals. We thrive off our Students’ success and this is what keeps our business going. We help our Students prosper and get the best out of working and learning, while gaining invaluable expertise, that will set them up for life.’

Qube Learning is proud to be an OFSTED grade 2 (Good) Recruitment and Training Solutions Provider, that works with hundreds of Employers across the country to deliver a range of training and qualifications to a multitude of Students. If you are interested in finding out more about the positive opportunities an Apprenticeship or Traineeship can bring, through Qube Vision and eLearning, either as a Student or an Employer, then speak with the experts at Qube Learning.