Youth IT Careers graduate now prized employee

This story was originally published on the Microsoft Business Partner blog as part of the 2017 Microsoft Summit.

Poised between a job he needed and an opportunity that would kick start his career in the IT industry, Youth IT Careers graduate Nick Aldridge’s future was transformed, in some way, by the job he didn’t get.

Nick had been out of school and looking for a job for three years. He was with a job-seeking agency and although he wanted to further his education he also needed a job.

He had raised the idea of furthering his education with the agency who told him about Youth IT Careers.

Established in partnership with Microsoft, Youth IT Careers supports young people, who have struggled to find employment or remain in school, to complete IT training. At the end of the training, graduates are supported into employment.

Nick initially knocked back the chance to join the program; he was in line for a factory job which, as luck would have it, he didn’t get.

Ofir Even-Bar, Director - Cloud Platform, at BizData works closely with Microsoft and as Nick was making decisions about his career prospects, Ofir was learning about the Youth IT Careers program. 

Just weeks after hearing about the program, Ofir was looking for a new recruit and that’s when he met Nick.

Nick had completed the Youth IT Careers program when he came in for an interview at BizData and met Ofir and his team. Despite being nervous, Ofir saw in Nick an eager, polite and curious young man.

“I thought Nick was really ambitious, I could tell that he wanted to learn."

Ofir says he immediately knew that Nick was someone who would fit into BizData’s culture.

Nick has worked hard to cement his important position at BizData and has now been with the organisation for more than 18 months.

Nick believes some employers might be nervous about taking on someone from a disadvantaged background.

“You’ve got to show employers that if you come from a disadvantaged background it doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t work – it just means there are things that you’ve lived through or overcome in the past,” says Nick.

“Nick has grown significantly in his role,” says Ofir. “He is a confident young man who can deal with anything that is thrown at him. He manages corporate clients by himself and everyone who works with him, both externally and internally, loves him.”

While Nick may have had a challenging start, he is a prime example that with the right support, getting started in the workforce can be a positive experience.

Keen to help a young person kick start their career? Get in touch or find out more.