Jesse completed the Spear Programme in Brighton in June 2024.

I grew up in a fairly under-privileged background. I had a lot of problems growing up. My mum and dad split up, and my dad is an alcoholic. It made navigating school a bit harder, because there was a lot going on at home.

I had to really persevere through the education system. I got some A Levels, then thought I’d get out of London and come down to Brighton. I graduated from uni in psychology. And after that, I felt relieved and hopeful – a lot of positive feelings. But reality came crashing down. I was applying for a few jobs, and was dismissed from one job that was a massive knock to the system. I was thinking – I have a degree, but I got to a point where I felt demotivated, directionless, lost and confused.

So I gave Spear a go. I was doubtful at first, not really thinking it could help, but they took us through five weeks with many different challenges, learning how to confidently communicate, professionalism, CV writing, loads of stuff.

We did a Hire Me event, doing an interview with Marstons, and now I’m going to be acting as a ‘tag time’ with Tom [another trainee] on the streets as a Traffic Enforcer. Starting a new job can be very daunting, but I’m excited for the future, to try something new. A big thank you to my coaches for mentoring us through this process.