EIC Case Study Juggling care and career


The Electrical Industries Charity offers a wide range of support services to those who serve and have served within the electrical and energy sector.


C


ormac’s role as his mother’s primary caregiver while also working to support their family led to a decline in his mental health, but with the assistance of the Electrical Industries Charity and counselling, he regained his enthusiasm for his apprenticeship and learned the importance of seeking help when needed. Cormac has lived in Northern Ireland his whole life. He loves it there and couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. He lives with his mum, Fiona, who has breast cancer. Cormac describes his mum as a proper warrior. Fiona has had operations and chemo to try and treat the cancer, but she became so poorly that she could no longer work and Cormac became her main caretaker. Cormac was not only looking after his mum, but he was also the only breadwinner, which was a struggle as he was on an apprentice wage.


Cormac was 21 at the time that he became his mum’s main caregiver and provider. His apprenticeship was going well and was really important to him, but he needed new equipment, so he decided to get another job.


The money was great, it helped him to pay the rent, the food shop, and to buy his new equipment, but doing two jobs was too much, and he started to make mistakes at work that affected his performance.


Cormac was always tired and constantly worried about his apprenticeship and his mother’s health. He became stuck in a cycle of not getting enough sleep, working too much, and worrying about his mum.


Some days he felt so lost and helpless that he struggled to get out of bed, hoping everything


would go away. Cormac knew he was at a point where he needed help. He stopped his second job so he was able to focus on his apprenticeship, and he also actively started looking for help with his personal struggles. But it was Cormac’s mum that found out about the Electrical Industries Charity. Fiona told him about the Charity and how they could help with bursaries for people who were struggling to make enough money to support themselves. He filled out a really easy form and was told that the bursary programme is designed to make sure young apprentices get the support they need, as the industry wants to keep people like him in the trade.


Cormac also had counselling sessions. They really helped him at a time when his mental health was low and he was struggling with feeling burnt out. He was given advice on the benefits he and his mum could access, to help ease the financial pressure. During his therapy sessions, Cormac picked up some great coping strategies to help out with his anxieties surrounding his mum’s health and opened up about how difficult he had found looking after her. This helped him to manage his emotions and reduce his stress levels. Now, Cormac’s really enjoying his apprenticeship and wants to complete it. He knows how much it w’ll help to secure a better future for himself and his mum. He also knows that you can’t always do everything yourself, and the EIC has been a vital form of support for him when he needed it most. Cormac says he’s learned that you should never be afraid to ask for help.


If you’re feeling like you need support, you can call the EIC helpline on 0800 652 1618 or email at support@electricalcharity.org


Upcoming EIC events powerBall 2023


Friday 10 November, Old Billingsgate


South West Region Annual Ball 2023 Friday 17 November, De Vere Tortworth Court Hotel


Glasgow Christmas Lunch 2023 Wednesday 6 December, DoubleTree by Hilton, Glasgow


Yorkshire Christmas Lunch 2023 Friday 8 December, Pavilions of Harrogate


Eastern Christmas Lunch 2023 Tuesday 12 December, Kings College, Cambridge


Midlands Christmas Lunch 2023 Thursday 14 December, Macdonald Burlington Hotel, Birmingham


Edinburgh Christmas Lunch 2023 Friday 15 December, Sheraton Hotel, Edinburgh


20 | electrical wholesaler November 2023


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