When Min Ding decided to return to work after spending several years as a full-time mum, she thought it would be a challenge to find something to fit with home life. But thanks to the WHP JETS programme she has found a job which gives her the work-life balance she and her family need.
 
A graduate in International Business from Liverpool University, Min began her career as a customer adviser for a bathroom company. Fast forward several years, with a wedding and two children along the way, and Min was eager to return to work. She was referred to Job Entry Targeted Support (JETS), a separate strand of the Work and Health Programme (WHP), delivered in North West England by Ingeus. It is commissioned and financed by the Department for Work and Pensions and deemed to be a European Social Fund match funded programme.
 
Spending almost seven years as a full-time mum left 36-year-old Min unsure whether she’d be able to find something to suit both her own and her family’s needs. After joining West Derby Jobcentre Plus, in December 2020 Min was referred by her work coach Joan to Jamie Stewart, an Ingeus employment coach at the WHP JETS programme. Now, almost three months into her role as a customer adviser for a government project, she is enjoying the flexibility it brings.
 
“I was quite scared about going back to work after so long,” says Min, “and I was worried about how a job would fit with taking my children to and from school. But my manager has been very understanding and gives me time off to do the school run each day.”
 
Alongside her concerns about work-life balance, Min also faced fears about her lack of work experience and confidence. Jamie helped Min to regain her confidence as well as offer practical advice, such as pointing her in the direction of the Ingeus online iWorks system to test the content of her CV.
 
Min says, “Seven years seemed a long time to not be working. But thanks to JETS and Jamie’s support, I was able to build my confidence and find this job. He helped me a lot with my job search, sharing expertise and information.
 
“My job is a dream come true and I feel a real sense of satisfaction. I’m contributing financially and working within school hours, which means I still have my family time too.”
 
https://ingeus.com/jetsnw