Meet Joel. At the age of six, Joel Fields, 18, from Birmingham, and his four brothers and sisters were put into foster care. But, thanks to The Prince's Trust, he was able to turn his life around. Find out how you can help people like Joel progress in their lives.
For 10 years Joel was moved from one foster home to another. Then, at 17, he was put into Independent Living accommodation, which helps young people without any family support to learn to look after themselves.
He’d started a college course in music and media, which meant he was often in the studio. He loved spending time working with musicians. But, just as it looked like his life was finally stabilising, he ran out of money. His new address meant a longer journey to college and he couldn’t manage the increased fares. He became unsociable, closed down and disassociated himself from everyone.
Soon afterwards, Joel was told about The Prince’s Trust Make Your Mark programme by the warden where he was living. Make Your Mark is an employability initiative delivered in partnership with Marks & Spencer to equip unemployed young people with the skills and confidence they need to secure jobs.
At the end of the programme everyone on the course took part in a celebration day to reflect on what they’d achieved in such a short amount of time.
“In all honesty, those four weeks on the course were probably the happiest moments of my life. I would have done another four and then another four just for the joy of it.
"At the celebration day, someone asked me how I felt and I sang ‘Time of my Life’."
Joel’s infectious enthusiasm soon had Marks & Spencer knocking at his door with the offer of a full-time customer service job in its new food store in Shirley.
Joel has certainly earned his title as a young achiever, getting on so well with The Prince’s Trust that he’s even recommended courses to his family.
“I preach the gospel of The Prince’s Trust because it changed my life. I’m now financially independent. I have my own pad. It costs a good coin, but I’m doing it.
"I’m in a good place and my dream is to become a Make Your Mark trainer. They did so much for me, and I‘d like to do the same for other young people."
