Whether it's in person in our COVID-19 secure centre in the heart of Worthing town, or online via distance learning, we continue to support young people in West Sussex to gain qualifications and places in education, employment or training.
what is it like being an asphaleia student?
We chatted to one of our students about her experience at asphaleia. She is looking to join college in September tells us about where they started and how far they have come.
B joined asphaleia a year and a half ago and initially struggled to attend and engage because of high anxiety. She enrolled onto Make Trax and did some 1:1 work on building confidence, communication, managing anxiety strategies, and gained a strong working relationship with a member of staff.
From there, B joined On Track 2 Work and has been studying employability with English and maths in Worthing. B has achieved Functional Skills Level 1 in English and maths and hopes to achieve Level 2 in English before moving onto college this September, where she has been accepted to do Hair and Beauty. B recognises that it hasn’t always been easy to stay engaged and says she feels anxious about moving on.
"The teachers here really let you take your time. I struggle to read quickly and the employability tutor always lets me take as much time as I need even if other people finish way before me. I have had times where I haven’t turned up to college for a few days. The staff always get in touch but it's never in a way that you are being told off it's that they tell you what you are missing in class and how it's important for exams and getting a job. They always offer a chat and don’t just assume you’re being lazy.”
When B was asked about what she had liked about asphaleia she said, “the tutors being so nice and understanding. Also the extra support.”
Whilst at asphaleia, B has engaged with our mental health support worker and asphaleia SAFE to help her on her learning journey and ultimately to help her prepare for the world of work.
B also said that being in small classes with some other students that also have had problems at school or with anxiety has helped a lot. "At schools before I felt like I was weird or not normal because I couldn’t always keep up with everyone. It’s not like that here.”
We wish B every success with college in September and look forward to working with her throughout the summer period to help her prepare for college.
Contact us today if you or someone you know is aged 16-24 and is not in work or education and would benefit from a tailored programme, starting immediately, to give them the skills they need to get a job or into a further education course. We have a virtual open day coming up soon - subscribe to our email list to find out more!