Ballad Group

Essential Skills to Success: A Participant’s Experience

We chatted with recent Essentials Skills to Success Training participant to learn more about her experience in the program.

  • Tell me about yourself. 
    • I am a 20-year-old woman, who had very limited education and struggled with addictions and mental health concerns also.
  • How did you hear about Ballad Training? 
    • I knew several people that had been in the program who told me that it would be a great opportunity for me to gain skills that would help me achieve my goals.
  • Why did you join the program?
    • Because I was ready to start expanding on my experience and wanted to have a support system that could assist me in achieving the things that I really wanted to do but was unsure of how to get there.

“I LEARNED HOW TO TAKE RISKS AND TRUST MY STRENGTHS AND BE CONFIDENT IN MY ABILITY TO LEARN NEW THINGS.”

  • Tell me about your training experience?
    • It was fun and informative, I got to learn a lot of things about my skills and talents that I would not normally get in a traditional workplace. I learned how to become more assertive and self-confident in my abilities. I learned how to take risks and trust my strengths and be confident in my ability to learn new things.
  • What did you gain from the training program? 
    • I was able to take my GED and successfully pass it while in the program which was a huge barrier to me. I got to take driver’s training which gave me the skills to pass my Class 5 GDL, I got the opportunity to reach my financial goals that I needed to so that I could also do the GED program while maintaining attendance. I was able to secure employment through connections that I made in the program. I was able to be proactive with my mental health and encouraged to obtain counseling and all other supports.
  • What were some of the challenges?
    • Being pushed to break out of my comfort zone and to work and share in a group setting. Being pushed to realize my potential and not letting fear win.

“I LEARNED HOW TO BECOME MORE ASSERTIVE AND SELF-CONFIDENT IN MY ABILITIES.”