Sometimes an Unexpected Friendship can Lead to Great Things

National Training Federation for Wales , 7th July 2023

Josh Carsley is a hard-working learner of Itec Skills and Employment who has developed his skills and friendship connections by starting off as a Summer Sorted learner in 2021, eventually leading to becoming a full Jobs Growth Wales + learner.

However, unfortunately, this hasn’t always been a reality for Josh, he attended comprehensive school between 2016-2021 and throughout this time he felt alone and unable to be himself as he spent a lot of his time being mentally and physically bullied, the main reason for the bullying is because Josh is a loud person who raises his voice when he is speaking, what no one knew about Josh is that the reason he has a loud voice due to coming from a partially deaf household.

Not only did Josh endure bullying within school but it followed on the assigned buses to and from school. One day a Stagecoach driver saw Josh being bullied by a group of people and told him to take a seat on the bus and he’ll drop him off, this is where Josh’s friendship with Stagecoach began. The bus drivers of Stagecoach would take Josh to and from school and developed a safe and supportive relationship with him, in fact, they were the people who recommended ITEC Skills and Employment to Josh and encouraged him to sign up for the 2021 Summer Sorted programme where he was able to gain skills in employability, confidence and life skills; it also encouraged Josh to make new friends with whom he still speaks to now. As his time on the summer programme came to an end Josh was even more ready to start studying Independent Living Skills at college.

Earlier this year, Josh decided to leave college and re-join ITEC Skills and Employment as a JGW+ Engagement where he can gain new skills and qualifications and explore his options of going out on a work experience placement with hopes of trialling out a mechanics position after his scheduled informal interview with a local motor vehicles garage.

Josh said:

“I finally found a place where I fit in and can be myself”.

Josh decided to make the change of coming back to ITEC Skills and Employment as due to his previous experience, he viewed this as a safe and judge-free environment where he is accepted for being himself.

Mae Josh Carsley yn ddysgwr sy’n gweithio’n galed o Itec Sgiliau a Chyflogaeth sydd wedi datblygu ei sgiliau a’i gysylltiadau cyfeillgarwch trwy ddechrau fel dysgwr Trefnu Haf yn 2021, gan arwain yn y pen draw at ddod yn ddysgwr ymgysylltiad llawn Twf Swyddi Cymru+.

Fodd bynnag, yn anffodus, nid yw hyn bob amser wedi bod yn gwirionedd i Josh, mynychodd yr ysgol gyfun rhwng 2016-2021 a thrwy gydol yr amser hwn roedd yn teimlo'n unig ac yn methu â bod yn ef ei hun gan iddo dreulio llawer o'i amser yn cael ei fwlio yn feddyliol ac yn gorfforol, y prif reswm am y bwlio yw oherwydd bod Josh yn berson swnllyd sy'n codi ei lais pan mae'n siarad, yr hyn nad oedd neb yn ei wybod am Josh yw mai'r rheswm bod ganddo lais uchel oherwydd ei fod yn dod o gartref rhannol fyddar.

Nid yn unig y dioddefodd Josh fwlio yn yr ysgol ond fe ddilynodd yn y bysus penodedig i ac o'r ysgol. Un diwrnod gwelodd gyrrwr Stagecoach Josh yn cael ei fwlio gan grŵp o bobl a dywedodd wrtho am gymryd sedd ar y bws a byddai’n ei ollwng gatre, dyma lle dechreuodd cyfeillgarwch Josh â Stagecoach. Byddai gyrwyr bysiau Stagecoach yn mynd â Josh yn ôl ac ymlaen i’r ysgol a datblygu perthynas ddiogel a chefnogol ag ef, a dweud y gwir, nhw oedd y bobl a argymhellodd ITEC Sgiliau a Chyflogaeth i Josh a’i annog i gofrestru ar gyfer rhaglen Trefnu Haf 2021 lle roedd yn gallu ennill sgiliau mewn cyflogadwyedd, hyder a sgiliau bywyd; roedd hefyd yn annog Josh i wneud ffrindiau newydd y mae'n dal i siarad â nhw nawr. Wrth i'w amser ar raglen yr haf ddod i ben roedd Josh hyd yn oed yn fwy parod i ddechrau astudio Sgiliau Byw'n Annibynnol yn y coleg.

Yn gynharach eleni, penderfynodd Josh adael y coleg ac ail-ymuno â ITEC fel dysgwr Ymgysylltiad JGW+ lle gall ennill sgiliau a chymwysterau newydd ac archwilio ei opsiynau o fynd allan ar leoliad profiad gwaith gyda'r gobaith o dreialu swydd mecanyddol ar ôl ei gyfweliad anffurfiol wedi'i drefnu gyda garej cerbydau modur lleol.

Penderfynodd Josh wneud y newid o ddychwelyd i ITEC oherwydd ei brofiad blaenorol, roedd yn gweld hwn fel amgylchedd diogel heb farnwyr lle caiff ei dderbyn am fod yn ef ei hun.