
Hummera joined the Foundation Skills Programme at Bedford College after finishing school. The programme supported Hummera, who is Deaf and uses British Sign Language (BSL) as her first language, to improve important life skills including English, maths and money management. Hummera’s ultimate aim following College was to get a job, but her time here also helped her discover her true passion.
Hummera gained qualifications in Hair & Beauty and Cookery, as part of the Foundation programme. At the end of the programme she moved on to a traineeship with Bedford Citizens Housing Association in the hair salon of Bedford Charter House, a residential care home in the centre of town.
The Additional Support team at Bedford College, who would accompany Hummera to lessons as her interpreter, helped her find suitable vacancies, write her CV and prepare for the application process with practice interviews. After a very successful placement Hummera was offered a full-time position at Charter House and has now been there for four years.
“I love washing hair, putting in rollers, drying and doing nails too. I also help with men’s hair, just washing at the minute but I am learning how to cut. Even sweeping the floors and making tea and coffee, I love it all. We have a laugh and I enjoy working here.”
Hummera enjoyed making friends with both hearing and deaf students while at College and her one-to-one sessions with tutors helped her to focus on her end goals.
Find out more about Foundation Skills