Celebrating Sardar’s journey back to hospitality!

After seeking refuge in the UK and facing three years of unemployment, Sardar was referred to the Restart Scheme at our Reading office last year. When he first joined, he was reserved, kept his head down, and always requested a translator in meetings. As his Employment Adviser, Grace, got to know him, it became clear that he had a good level of English, but didn’t have trust in his own abilities.

With encouragement, Sardar gradually gained the confidence to communicate in English with Grace, and this became a key focus of his journey. Keen to grow his confidence, he attended the Fedcap Hub workshop, to fully understand how he could utilise the Hub and the self-help guides provided. Sardar’s passion lies in cooking. Back in Iran, he worked as a chef for over 20 years. In the UK, he felt his opportunities were limited, and he feared he might never work in a kitchen again.

Grace worked with the Employer Solutions Consultant, Coral, to explain Sardar’s hopes and ambitions. Coral took the time to understand Sardar’s background and aspirations. They then had one-to-one sessions to further discuss Sardar’s career goals and ensure they could find him the best fit.

After reaching out to a local restaurant, just five minutes from Sardar’s home, that was hiring for a kitchen assistant role, Coral reverse marketed Sardar and managed to secure him an interview without requiring an application. Though feeling nervous, the prospect of working in a kitchen again was enough for him to push past the nerves and attend the interview. Sardar attended and was offered the job on the spot!

This marks the beginning of a new chapter for Sardar: the chance to pursue his passion, and the opportunity to build a stable and independent life in the UK.

Speaking to Sardar about his time on the Restart Scheme, he said:

“I’d like to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation to you and your colleagues at Fedcap who have dedicatedly and professionally found me a suitable job with my experience”

“I owe this new job to you and Coral’s help, you are good people. God bless you and all your colleagues”