At Dismantle, we often say, the most important job a young person will ever have is their first. That’s why we’ve set out to create social enterprises like ReNew and BikeDr. that provide the engagement and employment opportunities for our young people. One of the inspiring individuals we have had the privilege to work with is Chris, who faced unique obstacles on his path to personal and professional growth.
When Chris joined ReNew at the age of 18, it was his first job, initially grappling with shyness and insecurity. Over the course of one and a half years at ReNew, Chris transformed himself. Even earning himself the title of "weeding king" due to his unwavering reliability and dedication.
Chris’ journey at ReNew is nothing short of inspiring. Starting as a super shy and insecure young man who hardly spoke to anyone, his growth was fantastic to watch. A family friend of Chris noticed, saying "Chris’ transformation from a reserved, shy individual to the young man we now know has been inspiring. It's a testament to his resilience and the tremendous growth during his time at ReNew. I’m excited to see how he continues to grow and learn at his new job.”
As his confidence grew, the JobReadii mentors started encouraging him to explore new employment opportunities. As much as ReNew was disappointed to lose their Weeding King, we were excited to see Chris be able to continue his growth and extend his career.
Chris’ transformation continues as he is now transitioning to part-time employment at Spudshed, where he works from Monday to Thursday. His journey is a testament to his incredible growth in both confidence and work reliability. Chris applied for the job at Spudshed independently, demonstrating his newfound self-assuredness with encouragement from Jobreadii.
Chris’ mother reached out to ReNew to say “I don’t have the right words to express how much I appreciate you guys giving him a fair go. It really changed his life.” Everyone from Dismantle, ReNew and JobReadii are so proud of Chris and are very excited to continue to hear all the amazing things he will achieve.
Chris’ story is just one example of the incredible transformations that young people can achieve through Dismantle's programs. If you'd like to learn more about how young people like Chris find their way to Dismantle and grow through our pathway to personal and professional development, please get in touch.