Car repair is generally seen as a male-dominated industry, but a young woman from Newarthill is set to break into the trade thanks to North Lanarkshire’s Working.
Sarah Louise Young left school at 16 with few job prospects and soon found herself on income support while she looked for full-time employment.
After visiting her local Routes to Work centre, she was encouraged to take part in a three-week “taster course” at Motherwell College.
Sarah, now 17, said: “I was finding it tough being out of work and I was starting to feel quite discouraged. I had no self-confidence, and I didn’t think I had much chance of finding a job at all.
“But Routes to Work were really supportive, and they helped me to find out more about the courses available at Motherwell College.”
Sarah found herself drawn to the Vehicle Body & Paint Operations (Body Repair) programme, and quickly signed up to the full-time course.
She will be completing the Level 1qualification at in June. She is determined to complete the programme and eventually become a fully-qualified body repair technician.
Sarah added: “I really love the course and I feel like I’ve found a career I can be really enthusiastic about.
“The best part is how much better I feel about myself. I’m so much more confident and I feel like I have a future to look forward to.”
A Coatbridge woman is back in work after nearly two decades of unemployment thanks to help from North Lanarkshire’s Working.
