A new programme has been launched in Craven to help men and women of ‘a certain age’ to overcome difficulties preventing them from starting new careers or progressing in their own jobs.
Called CravENcourage, the project is the brainchild of professional business coach Filao Wilson. During the course of her work at Craven Coaching & Mentoring, Filao identified that there is a particular need for this sector of the population to get help in their lives. While there are initiatives and support available for young people to get help in starting work, ‘middle aged’ people are often struggling without any such infrastructure.
She explains “We find that there are many women who are considering returning to work after a long break raising a family but feel they are not equipped to step back into the workplace. They tend to underestimate the skills and experience they already hold. Others are interested to branch out into something new and yet don’t have the confidence to take that step.
The CravENcourage programme aims to help people to break out of the rut preventing them from developing professionally and personally.
Originally intended principally for women, whilst researching the need for the programme, Filao quickly found that it is also of great interest to men.
“While it is commonly known that women struggle with the menopause, it is equally known that men often suffer their own ‘mid-life crisis’. Changes in the woman’s body, while perhaps more dramatic and volatile, are nonetheless echoed by men suffering hair loss, greying and ‘middle-aged’ spread, for example. All these factors have a bearing on confidence in the workplace, whether in or out of a job. Added to that, with the economy having contracted, both men and women may face redundancy and reduced hours, all of which add to stress that inhibits forward progress.”
As the programme leader, Filao Wilson comes with many years’ mentoring experience in national organisations including the NHS. Recently awarded a Masters degree from Sheffield Hallam University, over the years she has developed her own relational coaching model, incorporating her NLP practioner skills but tailoring them to the needs of each client. Delivering four of the sessions within the CravENcourage programme from her room at The Lightwell Practice in Skipton, Filao manages the coaching development process.
Jenny Cooper specialises in creative stress management, delivering a session designed to teach relaxation techniques and how to transform stress into positive energy. Using a range of proven techniques including visualisation and guided meditation she helps the client to understand what triggers their particular stress and how they respond to it. Jenny’s expertise is research based and comes from many years’ experience in nursing and art therapy.
Image consultant Denise Griffiths adds a further dimension to the CravENcourage programme from her own studio, also in Skipton. Her two hour session on personal presentation provides an insight into how the right choice of colours and styles can impact on appearance, outlook, confidence and ultimately career success. Vital for creating the right first impression in job interviews, promotion battles, presenting to an audience or simply liaison with colleagues and clients, Denise outlines a strategy for getting noticed – appropriately.
Available from January, the CravENcourage programme is perfectly timed for supporting individuals who have had time to reflect over the Christmas festive period and decide that 2013 is their year to make significant life changes. Making the New Year’s Resolution actually happen need not be faced alone; Filao and the team are interested to hear from anyone who needs support and inspiration to take positive control over their lives and careers. She can be contacted on Freefone 0800 612 6016, or by email on enquiries@cravencoaching.com .