24 Aug 2026
When Alex arrived in the UK in March to reunite with his wife and children, he was determined to rebuild his career and provide financial stability for his family.
Having resettled from Ukraine, Alex faced several barriers to employment, including adapting to a new country, developing his English and understanding the UK labour market. He also had health conditions, including a herniated disc and chronic back pain, which meant he could no longer undertake heavy manual work.
With support from The Forward Trust’s Connect to Work programme, funded by the Department for Work and Pensions, Alex was able to identify suitable career options, build his confidence and develop the skills needed to secure employment.
Alex had previously worked in warehousing and furniture assembly and initially hoped to return to furniture assembly. However, his health meant he needed to consider alternative roles.
During his initial assessment, Connect to Work identified his key barriers and worked with him to develop a personalised employment plan.
Alex completed a Skills Profile through the Kudos AD platform and received support with career planning, identifying transferable skills and developing a professional UK-standard CV. He also explored opportunities in production, customer service and translation.
Improving his English was an important part of Alex’s employment journey. Connect to Work supported him to explore ESOL opportunities through EKC, Kent Adult Education and community-based provision, as well as future Level 2 English opportunities.
Alex also received practical digital skills support, including guidance on using AI to strengthen his CVs, tailor applications, write cover letters and prepare for interviews.
This helped Alex become more confident using online recruitment systems and completing applications independently.
Securing employment
After applying for several roles, Alex’s persistence paid off. On 27 June, he started temporary employment in a suitable warehouse role. Although the position was on a zero-hours contract, he was expected to work five days a week and quickly settled into the workplace.
Alex reported positive relationships with colleagues, enjoyment of the work and stable health and wellbeing. He also received practical support from his employer, including transport and uniform provision.
Connect to Work continued to support Alex after he started work. Better Off calculations and in-work reviews were completed, while employment evidence was gathered and longer-term career goals continued to be discussed.
Alex remains engaged with Connect to Work because his ambition is to secure permanent employment offering greater long-term security and opportunities for progression.
His journey demonstrates the impact of personalised, strengths-based employment support. Through one-to-one coaching, language support, digital skills development, employer engagement and interview preparation, Alex overcame significant barriers and secured paid employment within four months of joining the programme.
Most importantly, Alex’s confidence and resilience have grown throughout the process. His first interview did not lead to a job offer, but it became a valuable learning experience that helped prepare him for future opportunities.
Alex’s story shows that with the right support, encouragement and determination, significant barriers can be overcome and meaningful progress towards sustainable employment can be achieved.
Well done, Alex, and special thanks to his Employment Specialist, Gerda Vaiksnoraite, for her dedicated support.
