Case study
Jordan’s story
Jordan was 16 years old, and due to an emergency situation, her family had to move suddenly and this meant Jordan was living in a very remote area over 200 miles from the life she knew, her school and friends.
It was a traumatic time for Jordan and she missed out on her exams due to it. Jordan joined an employability project as part of the Barnardo’s Works programme and was on a placement in the local Retail Store to introduce and develop employability skills. Jordan was quite withdrawn at the start of the placement and never initiated a conversation.
The store manager spent extra time with her and showed her that they all believed in her. Jordan was extremely creative, which resulted in her being given the task of creating window displays and merchandising areas in the store. As her confidence grew, Jordan took on increased responsibility in the store. When her placement drew to a close she continued to volunteer five days a week in the store.
In March 2016 a vacancy for part-time Store Associate arose. Jordan applied and was successfully recruited. She continued to work as Store Associate but was so keen to develop that she also volunteered (unpaid) in the store for a further day or two each week.
In July 2017 Jordan became the Seconded Store Manager of the store, managing 27 volunteers and 2 paid staff.
At our 2017-18 Retail Roadshow for Scotland and Ireland, Jordan won an award for all her hard work. Jordan and her store team have also won numerous local customer service awards.