Charity fitness course helps youths into work (From Croydon Guardian)

Charity fitness course helps Croydon youths into work

7:00am Wednesday 26th January 2011 in Local news By Kirsty Whalley

A youth charity is running a course in Croydon to help those not in education or training.

TAG runs a six month course to help students gain a Level 2 qualification in the fitness industry, they are guaranteed a 4 month paid placement at a local gym.

Oumou Conde, 21, from has been helped by the scheme.

She was a high achieving student studying towards a diploma in Health and Social Care until she got into trouble with the police and landed herself with a criminal record after assaulting a police officer when drunk.

She dropped out of college and couldn’t find a job until she heard about TAG and is now working for Cannons Leisure Centre.

She said: “Yesterday I was alone in charge of the front desk from 8pm to 10.30pm. I really enjoyed working independently. I feel like I’m going somewhere doing the TAG course and placement, I wake up and have something to look forward t. It is good.

“Compared to my peers, I feel like I’ve matured a lot in the last few years. I’ve realised it is not good to take things for granted. What I really want to do is support myself. When I’m in my 30’s I don’t want to look back and think ‘If only I’d take things seriously when I was younger, I’d be in a different place now’.

“My plan at the moment is to hopefully get my criminal record removed and work full-time for a couple of years. Maybe eventually I’ll be able to go to university and study social work.”

For more information go to www.tagworks.org