Astriid + Matchable volunteers
WE MATCHED ASTRIID, A PLATFORM HELPING THOSE WITH LONG-TERM CONDITIONS FIND MEANINGFUL WORK, WITH SEVERAL MATCHABLE VOLUNTEERS TO HELP ASTRIID CANDIDATES PREPARE FOR EMPLOYMENT.
Astriid’s mission is to help people with long-term conditions find meaningful work. They believe that the value of work is far more than the wages paid; employment provides routine, a sense of normality, challenges and rewards, and when approached correctly, can also facilitate a greater sense of wellbeing.
Astriid was founded by David Shutts OBE following his cancer diagnosis. After being diagnosed with inoperable stage four kidney cancer, David found that the disruption to his professional life took a toll on him emotionally. He recognised that there must be thousands of other people like him who were keen to get back into the workplace, despite their long-term illnesses, and decided to set up Astriid to help others like him. David sadly passed away from cancer in 2018.
Astriid helps connect the Invisible Talent Pool (people who have long-term conditions but who wish to use their skills and experience in work) with prospective employers, providing accessible work opportunities for those who are seeking them.
The Astriid team were looking for individuals, particularly those with HR or recruitment experience, to help their candidates with the identification of transferable skills and CV development. This involved working closely with Astriid candidates to identify their skillsets and improve their CVs to best represent themselves.
We matched Astriid with several HR specialists from companies including Impala (who found us through online learning platform Learnerbly) and Capital on Tap to help with this project. The results were great - not long after their session with volunteer Fay, a Talent Partner from Capital on Tap, one individual who was helped managed to secure a new job!
“The blend of enthusiasm, sensitivity and patience shown by Philippa, Fay and Will is a perfect mix for the Astriid candidates they are supporting wonderfully! Their expertise in plugging candidates’ CV gaps and guidance in their search for work (something many of our candidates find hard to do) is hugely welcome and we have also formed strong and beneficial relationships with the volunteers.
We are looking forward to building on these relationships with candidates to come and we at Astriid, thank you all for the support you have given so far. I speak on behalf of all the candidates, when I say that your help is appreciated far more than you will ever imagine!”
“ I wanted to let you know that yesterday I had a very positive and helpful initial session with Fay regarding my CV. Fay was well prepared for our meeting and very easy to talk to. ”