Tia's Story

When Tia enrolled on our Future Pathways programme, her negative experiences of the education system meant we were a last resort for the teenager from Trowbridge.

After being excluded from school, Tia lived alone and was not engaged in education or training. Despite her experiences, Tia wanted to progress into further education to improve her chances of securing employment. When hearing about Future Pathways, she wondered if it would suit her needs better than school or college.

Future Pathways is a post-16 education programme that combines educational studies with sport in a unique environment and supports young people to progress into further education, employment, and training.

Since signing up, Tia has built solid relationships with her new tutors and peers alike, and her attitude to education is much more positive. She has progressed to the BTEC level 3 Programme, which she will complete in September, and now aims to study coaching at University.

Joining our education programme allowed Tia to access support with employability and skills advice and grant applications. She also improved her wellbeing and started leading a healthier lifestyle thanks to futsal and team-building activities.

Tia credits Future Pathways with giving her a second chance at education and explained that taking part in the programme has transformed her life:

"I didn't enjoy school, as I felt like teachers didn't give me any respect, so my attitude wasn't great. Once I left, I tried a few different colleges, but they weren't for me.

"Joining the Future Pathways programme was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I get on really well with the tutors, and they talk to me as an equal, which is important to me. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, but now I've found a path I want to follow to build a future for myself. Without this course, I'd be all over the place."

Find out more about our Future Pathways programmes by clicking here.