As the Future Jobs Fund (FJF) draws to a close it’s nice to hear how it has changed the lives of young people and helped them into employment.

Gary Pringle left school at 16 and started working for a recruitment consultancy in Essex back in 2006. He moved to Mansfield in 2009 to be with his girlfriend, but struggled to find a job. Gary was looking for a similar role and was getting interviews, but no job. The feedback was that he needed a driving licence, which Gary didn’t have.

After a few months of applying for jobs on a daily basis, Gary was starting to feel dejected. In March 2010 his Jobcentre Plus Adviser told him about the Future Jobs Fund (FJF). She told him about an admin role at Mansfield YMCA. Although Gary had never considered working for a charity, he thought he’d give it a try. Gary went for an interview and liked what he saw. Mansfield YMCA offered him a post and Gary quickly settled in. He quickly picked up new skills, started working closely with a broad range of people and achieved an NVQ Level 2 qualification in Business Administration. It was working so well that Gary also took on the role of FJF supervisor to other FJF employees.

With all this experience and a relevant qualification under his belt, Gary was in a much stronger position for looking for jobs. He was also able to broaden his outlook and apply for roles he previously had not considered.

In September 2010 Gary applied for and was successful in getting a job with the Dyslexia Association as a Project Coordinator. A role he really enjoys. â€The Future Jobs Fund has given me the opportunity to gain experience and qualifications. I’d never thought about working for a charity before. Now I feel… hundred times better in myself and I feel more able to carry out different types of positions at various levels in order to develop my career and strengthen me not just in work but personally.

"I feel that I have gained a lot of essential office experience and knowledge in order to progress onto another role with added responsibilities. I also was able to receive some job application training whilst there which really helped me when looking for roles that involved filing out lengthy application forms. I feel very lucky that I was able to participate in the FJF because this has boosted my self confidence and self esteem incredibly which has enabled me to progress my career and my aspirations for the future.

"It has had a major effect on me personally as I gained the confidence to be applying for different types of positions in a variety of fields because of the experience and knowledge I had gained whilst at the YMCA Mansfield. Also since achieving my NVQ Level 2 in Business Admin, I am currently half way through my Level 3 in Business Administration with The Dyslexia Association, I have also completed my Literacy Level 2 course here and will be soon be starting my Level 2 Numeracy course here too!!"