Unemployment + hope = A future

By Michael Darbandi michaeldarbandi

I have just fallen head-first into a new project called Christians Against Poverty (CAP) Job Club, which has left me staring right in the face of unemployment. As someone who has always been in full-time education or full-time work (and still am), unemployment has always been a bit of an unrelated topic to me. I used to believe that there were plenty of jobs out there for anyone that wanted them and that all it took was a bit of time applying, setting realistic expectations and then you would find a job. How wrong I was!

Not so long ago I found myself challenged on my views when presented with the opportunity to launch a free club to help the unemployed find work. Since then I have had my heart and views pruned and sheered until some real light of truth was shone on my understanding.

I have met and spoken with a wide range of people, ranging from those working with the unemployed to employers and the unemployed themselves. I still believe that there are jobs out there to be had, and I still believe it’s a matter of setting realistic expectations; however I have realised I was missing one huge ingredient to my formula for employment — hope.

There are millions of people in the UK (2.49 million to be precise) out of work, many of whom have been fed a lie that they are jobless because they are not as worthy as those in work because they act the wrong way, say the wrong things or do not possess the right skills. This is completely not true. Yes, there are certain people who have the skills required to be brain surgeons and some who don’t – but we aren’t talking about specialist work here; we are talking about people who feel the world has chewed them up, spat them out and told them they are worthless.

I believe that everyone on this planet has a divine worth and purpose; the sooner they can unlock the ability to believe in themselves and trust in their skills, the sooner they can walk through the door of their future. It sounds insipid and cheesy, but it’s true.

Unemployment is falling, we are slowly coming out the recession and there are more jobs available. In March-May 2013 there were 516,000 job vacancies, this is the highest since 2008. The UK does not need people getting on their soapboxes about bankers, the government or the recession, it needs people to believe the truth that better times are on the way and that we have a ready and able work force desperate to fill the thousands of vacancies.

That is exactly what we aim to do by launching Lincoln’s first CAP Job Club. We will exist to support and guide people through their job search and providing a helping hand. Though most of all, we will instil hope that they do have a worth and are employable. It’s the CAP Job Club vision of hope that has seen 1 in 6 of their clients nationally find employment, that we will be continuing in Lincoln.

To find out more about the CAP Job Club, visit our website. I will keep you updated on our journey.

Mike is 25 and is the Lincoln Christians Against Poverty (CAP) Job Club Manager. He lives in central Lincoln and works as the general manager of a bar and kitchen when not volunteering for CAP.