Riding the New Wave: Joel’s Journey to Success

Riding the New Wave: Joel’s Journey to Success

After being unemployed for 10 months, Joel joined the Restart Scheme with the hope of turning his situation around. Joel had faced significant barriers, including challenges linked to his mental health, ADHD and autism. Job searching felt overwhelming—he struggled to focus, prioritise tasks, and identify roles that aligned with his strengths. Joel had ambition to do things for himself but felt his lack of structure and routine was preventing him from making any real progress.

Joel’s journey took a positive turn when he joined a digital skills course, where he discovered that IT-based jobs suited his abilities and attended workshops to improve his time management and prioritisation. Through his involvement with Fedcap’s New Wave Clubhouse in Brighton, Joel felt he got a feel for what a work environment was like, and it helped him create the routine and structure in life that he lacked. Joel quickly became an active member, dedicating his time to personal and professional development. He honed his coding skills, focused his job search on realistic strategies.

Joel’s contributions to New Wave Clubhouse extended beyond his own development. He supported other members, took part in creating content for their newsletters, delivered a digital skills workshop, led and participated in unit meetings, health walks and vision board workshops and always offered his help with IT-related queries from members. He also took part in a collaboration with charity Make a Smile, spending a day volunteering and giving back to the community.

These efforts culminated in a fantastic outcome: Joel secured a position as a Patient Care Co-ordinator at a local medical practice. He is now shadowing and undergoing training to excel in his new role.

Looking ahead, Joel is keeping his options open. He is exploring opportunities within the NHS, including the possibility of pursuing a clinical apprenticeship. Alternatively, he hopes to progress into a programming role, building on his Python skills.

Reflecting on his experience, Joel said:

“In the past, I found it difficult and felt demoralised when applying for jobs. Clubhouse and the Restart Scheme have provided me with a place to find a like-minded community. They accommodated and tailored the support to my needs, helping me understand which jobs match my strengths. They supported me to better manage my ADHD and autism. I feel I have found a local safety net in Brighton.”