Kyle, an ambitious 18-year-old from Kingswood, has successfully launched his career in the legal sector thanks to the support of the Ablaze Employment and Skills Programme.
Through tailored workshops, hands-on work placement opportunities, and expert mentoring, he gained the skills, knowledge, and real-world experience needed to secure a role at global law firm Kennedys.
Kyle, 18 from Kingswood, was referred onto the Ablaze Employment and Skills Programme from Works4Youth in March 2026. From the beginning, it was clear that Kyle had a lot of potential and skills, as well as a clear ambition to pursue a career in the legal sector. However, limited work experience and qualifications was making it difficult for him to take his first steps into employment.
Kyle showed great enthusiasm and commitment during the workshops, fully embracing the programme by frequently contributing to discussions and working hard to progress his transferable skills. We were particularly impressed by Kyle’s confidence and ability to form friendships within the group, lifting the spirits and attitudes of other participants.
Kyle was then placed into a 10-day work placement at Sense Risk, an insurance broker in Bristol. During his time there, he shadowed staff members, created social media content, delivered presentations to the team, and attended networking events. Kyle was grateful to gain some real experience in a workplace and made an excellent impression throughout the placement.
Due to his strong interest in law, Kyle was also matched with a 1-2-1 mentor, Saddaf, who works at Kennedys, a global law firm. Through regular meetings, Saddaf was able to impart invaluable knowledge of the legal sector, offering guidance Kyle had not previously had access to. Together, they explored realistic next steps for Kyle’s progression into a legal career, aligned with his current educational position. Kyle shared that the mentoring relationship was the most helpful aspect of the programme, particularly as Saddaf supported him in preparing for, and ultimately securing, an interview at Kennedys.
Since then, Kyle has been successful and secured a job as a Claim Handler at Kennedys, which he is due to start in June this year. Thrilled by this opportunity, Kyle shared his gratitude to both Works4Youth and Ablaze in a speech at the programme’s celebration event, recognising how the placement, mentoring, and structured support helped him take this significant step forward into meaningful employment.
We are extremely happy for Kyle for achieving this fantastic outcome, and we wish him all the best as he embarks on this new chapter of his career journey.
