A first-class honours graduate, who was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome while at university, has landed a role at the Ashmolean Museum after struggling to find a job at the height of the pandemic.

She was able to reskill with the help of an employment specialist and achieve her ambitions.

Maisie Tucker, 21, gained a first in history from Royal Holloway and her dream was to work in one of Oxford’s world-renowned museums – a tough sector to break into at any time, let alone during a period of lockdown.

She said: “Essentially my body shut down, I was overwhelmed with fatigue. I developed anxiety and I was struggling to finish my degree. I struggled getting up on some days.

“When I finished university I was unsure what employment I could go into because of my specific needs and going into the job market during Covid.”

Ms Tucker joined the Work and Health Programme, funded by the Department for Work and Pensions and the European Social Fund, in November.

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She said: “I had a lovely coach, Alice, and would have weekly check-ins with them. They were looking for jobs using their contacts within certain fields and I said I would love to work in a museum environment.”

Change Coach Alice helped Ms Tucker define her goals, identify suitable work opportunities and prepare applications and supporting statements, as well having a mock interview before facing her first three-stage panel selection process, leading to a job offer.

The interview process comprised of a very short scenario/role play-based session followed by a 30-minute interview with four people from across University of Oxford's Gardens, Libraries and Museums.

Ms Tucker, who lives with her parents in Sutton Courtenay, said: “This is my biggest achievement to date and I really look forward to see what is in store for me next as I start my role at the Ashmolean Museum.”

The museum will reopen on May 17 and Ms Tucker is currently undergoing training.

She said: “I have done an induction at the Botanic Garden because it is outside and I’ve met the people I’ll be working with and had a chat about what they expect and the training.

“I’m very excited. It will be really lovely to start working again and get back to some kind of normalcy again.”

A spokesperson for the Ashmolean Museum, said: “We are delighted that Maisie has joined the University's Gardens, Libraries and Museums Visitor Experience team as we prepare to reopen next month.

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“It's a position that requires particular strengths and skills and our approach to recruitment is to focus on a candidate's ability to engage with our visitors and work within an inclusive, welcoming and supportive team."

Employment and health specialist, Seetec Pluss, is a prime provider of the Work and Health Programme and is helping thousands of people to reskill and move back into employment.

Change Coach Alice Lorge, from Seetec Pluss partner Activate Learning, added: “Maisie has been open to advice and trying different avenues to secure meaningful employment. I am excited for her as she launches her career within her ideal sector and I look forward to providing in-work support to ensure a smooth transition.” 

Today is National Employability Day highlighting the struggle many graduates are facing across the country.

With the latest Office for National Statistics figures showing that between December 2020 to February 2021, an estimated 1.67 million people were unemployed, up 311,000 on the same period the previous year, the Covid-19 pandemic has hit jobseekers hard. 

National Employability Day will shine a light on the services, solutions and support available. 

Chris Harrison, executive director of Seetec Pluss, said: “From new graduates, to those that re-skill and change careers, through to individuals facing unemployment in their later years, too many working lives have been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“But people like Maisie are now finding employment to help stabilise the economy and the UK’s recovery.”