Naomi’s Story: Building Confidence and Skills with NOW Group

Naomi has been part of NOW Group’s services for around five years. She began in Transition and has gradually progressed over time. She is an active member of the Kidnap social group and the cinema club. Alongside this, Naomi has worked hard on her learning, completing numeracy and literacy courses, a Retail Academy programme, and she is currently studying Customer Service Level 2 and Barista Level 1.

Karen, Loaf’s Academy and Quality Coordinator, began working with Naomi in January 2025. Naomi had already been attending Loaf Academy for over a year and was continuing to develop her confidence and concentration. Together, they set clear goals to help improve her focus and believe more in her own abilities.

As Naomi began to make progress, a meeting was arranged with Naomi, her mum and Karen to talk about future opportunities. During that conversation, Naomi shared that she would love to work in a cinema. Karen contacted Movie House Cinema, who offered Naomi a one day a week placement for 12 weeks, while she continued two days a week at Loaf.

Both the café staff at Loaf and Karen quickly noticed a big change in Naomi. She was more focused, more confident and more engaged in her tasks. Because of this progress, she was put forward for the Barista and Customer Service courses through Loaf Academy. Naomi continued with her cinema placement alongside her training and did extremely well.

As Naomi’s cinema placement came to an end, job opportunities became available. She was keen to apply but felt nervous about the interview process. Karen spoke with the cinema team, who highlighted how much Naomi had grown and described her as a valuable member of the team. They offered her the role and arranged a practice interview to help her build confidence in a real-world setting. Naomi is now employed on a four-hour contract and loves earning her own money. She is saving up for a trip to Disneyland!

Learn more on how NOW Group can support you into employment - www.nowgroup.org/training-jobs