Sylwia Ewelina Pach joined the Fair Start Scotland service in September 2023, after originally moving to Larkhall from Poland 15 years ago.
She had 10 years’ experience working as a pharmacist in Poland, before working for a local charity in Scotland, first as a Retail Assistant before progressing to the role of Branch Manager.
At the beginning of 2023, Sylwia took sick leave due to stress at work. She had been struggling with her mental health due to the pressures of her job and this intensified during her sick leave due to her concerns about providing for her family.
After seven months, Sylwia was eager to return to work however did not want to return to the same workplace. She confided in a friend about her concerns, who recommended she reach out to Remploy for further support.
Sylwia was introduced to her dedicated Key Worker, Gillian Smith, who worked with Sylwia to identify her barriers and how best to overcome them. The biggest obstacle was her confidence, as her struggles with her mental health and self-esteem had prevented her from looking for work independently.
Gillian began by supporting Sylwia to identify her transferrable skills and the value that she could bring to an organisation. After talking through her concerns and previous experience, Gillian encouraged Sylwia to consider returning to the pharmaceutical sector.
Sylwia admitted that returning to the sector was her dream however she didn’t know how to enter the industry in the UK. She was advised to contact a local university who could advise her about transferring her Polish qualifications to the UK.
Sylwia was supported by Gillian to complete this process and ensure that her job applications highlighted her previous experience. She began applying for roles and was invited to interview for two Trainee Pharmacy dispenser roles.
In preparation for both interviews, Sylwia attended interview training where she was supported to rebuild her confidence and prepare for common interview questions.
After nearly two months of support, Sylwia began her new job as a Trainee Pharmacy Dispenser on 30th October 2023.
Reflecting on her experience, Sylwia said: “Remploy helped me find my dream job in a short time and I am very happy and satisfied. It’s good to know that I am doing what I want now and would recommend Remploy to everyone. Joining Remploy was one of the best decisions of my life.”
