Page 21 - Gi flipbook April 2019

hirty-eight-year-old Nathan
EducationApprenticeship.indd
Calder didn’t have the best start
in life. Growing up in poverty in
Peckham, South London, his role
T models were deeply involved in
criminal lifestyles, which inevitably had
a big influence on him.
“When a young lad starts hanging
around with criminals, he gets a sense
of belonging,” Nathan said. “It feels
good to be accepted, and pretty soon
there’s a chance to do small favours and
earn money. A week or two later, he’s
got some new trainers and his mates
are looking up to him. It draws you in.”
Nathan’s perception was skewed by
watching his mother as she worked
hard in poorly paid jobs, after which
he realised the short-term gains that
could be won from a life of crime. “By
the time you realise where your life is
going, you’re trapped,” he said. “There
are things you’ve done, choices you’ve
made. You’re in a corner. Lots of the
people I grew up with are serving long
jail sentences. It feels inevitable.”
He went to jail when his daughter
was just eight months old and didn’t get
out until she was five, which Nathan
describes as “such a lot to miss out on.”
He was released in 2012, but found
himself behind bars once more in 2013.
After his release into society, a car
washing job decided not to pay him.
Again, circumstances got the better of
Nathan and he returned to prison.
Released four months later, by this
time Nathan had a stepson and a baby
daughter. “I told myself it wouldn’t
happen again,” he said. “I decided to be
there for my kids and to try – no matter
how much of a struggle it might be.”
Determined to pass
After his release in 2014, he applied for
a basic gas course through the prison
resettlement service. “There were 10
of us on day one, but a month later I
was the only one left,” said Nathan. “My
supervisor told me I could do it and it
gave me enough confidence to keep
going. I’d never taken exams. I’d never
applied myself in that way. But I was
determined to pass.
“I must have made a good impression
because my supervisor seemed
as thrilled as I was when I got my
certificate. For the first time in my life
I had something I’d earned and it felt
amazing. My supervisor told me about
Morrison Utility Services and said I
should apply because my qualification
meant I could join as a trainee First
Call Operative. My CV wasn’t exactly
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