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"Rabiah studied Food Science in London then worked in the field. She moved from London to Cardiff to take care of her parents and struggled to find a job in her sector. After almost 2 years, her job applications remained unsuccessful, she started applying for different sectors and was still unsuccessful and didn’t know what to do next. Rabiah attended a job event organised by Into Work Advice Service and was referred to get a mentoring support. From summer 2025, she had weekly appointments and with her mentor and built her tool kit, understanding how to do an efficient job search and learning about Cardiff job market, the trainings, the apprenticeships and volunteering. Her confidence gradually came back and she felt empowered. She was ready to open up her job search to Customer Service or Administration to be financially independent and have new work experience in the Cardiff area, keeping her initial Food Science training and experience as a long-term project. As she was eager to get into employment quickly, her mentor suggested to attend the Cnect one-week pre-employment training comprehensive one-week training program designed to equip unemployed individuals with essential customer service skills. Covering everything from effective communication techniques to dealing with difficult customers, our training ensures that participants are prepared to excel in a customercentric environment, thus bridging the gap between skilled individuals and vacant positions in the customer service industry. The week’s training includes an interview with Cnect members for a live role within the industry, the course started at the beginning of September 2025. The interview on this occasion was with Legal & General and after the initial interview, was then invited to an assessment centre and thereafter offered a full-time permanent Customer Service Advisor position. Rabiah had been advised that this could be a wait prior to starting, having to go through their administration processes with it being in the finance sector but she was ready for the challenge. She started working on the 3rd November 2025. She is grateful for her mentor’s support but also for the Cnect training she attended. Rabiah Idrees - Referred through ‘Into Work Advice Service’ She appreciated the training as the trainer Andrew Ashby who is also a life coach was very knowledgeable and supportive and gave the tools, valuable advice and the little encouragement that she needed prior to the interview. "

"Lee truly took the time to udersrtand my goals and helped me shape exactly what I wasnted to achieve from our mentoring. This personalised approach created a space where I felt comfortable opening up, allowing me to get the most out of every session. My self-confidence has improved massively, and I'm certain this will have a lasting impact on my future career. I can't recommend Lee highly enough. "

"Being part of Cnect Wales is something I am truly passionate about. The way we support businesses and growth in Wales has been fundamental to the success of many new set-ups and ongoing growth. Not only this the support we have been able to offer through challenging times has been a credit to the forum and appreciated by the many businesses in Wales. Focusing on increasing skills and capability through our many training programmes has been an astounding success, along with the many forums and working groups to share best practice and industry news."