Omar started engaging with the ABZ Works employability programme in May 2024, just over 1 year ago. Omar was a refugee from Syria, who resettled in Aberdeen with his wife and four children, and is now a well integrated UK citizen. His main experience prior to arriving in the UK was as a teacher, at the time of join ABZ Works he was teaching Arabic classes part-time (10h/week) at one of the Aberdeen mosques. His initial step was to complete an English course (ESOL), after which he started working with his keyworker on a 1-to-1 basis. Omar notably went on to complete a general employability course to help build his confidence, teamworking and workplace skills, achieving an SQA award in Personal Development.
Omar was supported to sit an IELTS exam, for which he unfortunately didn’t receive the score he was hoping for in order to pursue careers in higher education. Omar was supported in exploring the possibility of online tutoring to create an additional source of income. He also received help with various job applications and interview preparation. In early 2025, Omar was put forward for a possible paid work experience within the City Council’s Estates team. He was successful during an informal interview process and offered a 3 month paid internship (25h/week), then extended by a further 3 months (lasting until August 2025). Omar’s time in this team has been a great success, with colleagues and managers praising him for his helpful and can-do attitude. Omar has been open about the challenges and situations he found himself in previously and this was really appreciated by the team who learned a lot from him. Now reaching the end of his placement, Omar has been offered a job with a 1-year contract in the same team.
Top quotes/highlights:
“I had help to apply for jobs and was successful in getting invited for an interview at a local school.”
“I’m really grateful for the opportunity and it’s giving me great hope for the future.”
“My children are proud their dad which is a really nice feeling.”
“I want to give back to this city which helped us so much when we arrived as refugees.”
Participant interview:
How did you find out about ABZ Works and why were you referred to the service?
I had heard of ABZ Works through social media and a local jobs fair. My job coach at the Job Centre recommended that I try ABZ Works. I was looking for a full-time job, I was only working part time 10h per week as an Arabic teacher and this was not enough for my family to live on comfortably even with various benefits to support us.
What were some of the barriers and challenges you were facing when looking for work?
Due to health reasons, I am not able to do physically demanding jobs. I was mainly looking for office-based work, but I was lacking recent, UK-based experience to help me land these. I also felt like I needed to improve my English skills further.
What do you feel you have achieved since joining ABZ Works? How do you think the service has helped you in your employability journey so far?
My English has improved, through the ESOL course I did with Pitman Training. I also got to prepare and try for the IELTS English test. I didn’t get the score I hoped for, but maybe will try again in the future knowing better what to expect for this exam. I had help to apply for jobs and was successful in getting invited for an interview at a local school. I had support with the application and getting help to translate my existing skills and experiences to fit other roles. I completed an employability training course with TreLife also which boosted my confidence, team working skills and prepared me for the workplace. I also received help through paid work experience at Aberdeen City Council.
What do you think was the best part of the programme so far?
Getting help with my application and interview for the teaching assistant job, as I love teaching. Also, being able to get paid work experience at the council has been amazing.
Let’s talk about your current work experience at ACC, how are you finding it so far?
I really enjoy it, and it’s going well! I love to be able to fix things and be a part of improving things in my local area.
What is your role and responsibilities?
As an intern in the Estates team, I carry out visits and inspections of council housing stock. I flag up and raise reports for any damage or problems that I find, such as vandalism, leaking water, broken windows or doors, obstructions in hallways and so on. I go out in a vehicle everyday after collecting keys for relevant properties that I need to check. I work on my own and have responsibility for many buildings and houses, I check them twice per week. Sometimes I also accompany prospective buyers to properties that are up for sale.
What do you enjoy most about the role?
I really enjoy driving! And being trusted to manage my own workload and duties. It’s also great that my hours fit well within school hours so I’m still able to handle my responsibilities as a parent, doing the school drop-off/pick-up. I feel happy about being a part of fixing things and making a place better for the residents.
What skills do you think you are using the most?
I have good, regular communications with my manager and other colleagues. I have made some new friends through work and I also meet a lot of new faces each week. I use an online system everyday to log details of locations and jobs required, so I use my IT skills a lot. I am trusted with keys and responsibilities, and able to work on my own without constant supervision, so making the most of my organisation skills to plan my day and tasks.
How are things with your team and manager(s)?
My contract was initially for 3 months, and it has been extended for another 3 months so I believe things are going really good. I meet with my manager everyday and things are working very well. I enjoy my team, I brought homemade shawarma for everyone one day and everyone enjoyed it together ; it was nice for them to try something new and for me to share a part of my culture.
How does having this role make you feel?
I’m really grateful for the opportunity and it’s giving me great hope for the future. Sometimes I do feel a bit sad about the amount of vandalism I come across, it can be a little bit disheartening with how often it happens. It costs a lot of money to the council to fix it all and not enough is being done to find out who did the damage or prevent it from happening. Overall I really like my job here, I get along well with my colleagues and I really hope I will be able to continue in this role beyond my initial contract.
How has this work experience helped you and your family so far?
Having this work experience has greatly increased my income, which has helped me spend more money on my family. On the other hand, my council tax payments have increased, some activities for my children such as swimming lessons cost a little bit more, and I have lost some of my benefits. Overall though, I am a little bit better off money wise despite all this. I have more money for activities and food. My children are proud their dad which is a really nice feeling.
What do you think the next steps will be for you?
I feel more optimistic now, after having had this experience which will add a lot of value to my CV. I want to give back to this city which helped us so much when we arrived as refugees. I want to actively contribute to the city’s life and prosperity. I have just been offered a contract for 1 year to continue in my current team, which I am so grateful for.
Would you recommend the ABZ Works service to others?
Of course, I would recommend ABZ Works to others. I already told by job coach at the Job Centre that this was the best and main thing to help jobseekers! I have also advised some of friends to give it a try.
