Individuals success stories

Hindsight is a wonderful thing and Andrew now has perfect vision. He took up the Word, Spreadsheet and Art & Imaging modules at the Learning Centre after recommendations from friends and family. A recent retiree, Andrew is also the Chairman and Treasurer for the ‘Borchester Fatstock Society’ and as such, he is responsible for running the Society’s annual show and dinner. Entry forms, schedules, fee records, budget spreadsheets, catalogue production, agendas, running orders and just about everything else fall to him.

“This was all before I became computer literate and the task generated plenty of paperwork; needless to say, some would go missing, causing red faces all round. How much easier it would have been with the knowledge I have picked up during this IT course!”

Antonietta is so committed to her role as secretary and treasurer for a local professional society voluntary group that she has already completed some basic NVQ 1 and 2 modules.

“I was still not confident that I had mastered Word and e-mail and I didn’t enjoy internet applications and so I decided to tackle ITQ2 in these modules with the Learning Centre. Before starting out on the original course I had absolutely no knowledge of the computer and these courses have helped no end in improving my presentation of paper work in my secretarial and treasurer roles.”

Antonietta uses the internet to work on and store her course work allowing her to fit her on-going professional development around her outstanding commitment to her voluntary group. She has improved her presentation and secretarial skills and now communicates efficiently and effectively with other local branch members.

It took self-employed Bryan just days to see the benefit of his newly learned IT skills and he’s overwhelmingly positive about his experience with the Learning Centre.

“I knew I needed to get to grips with the potential of my computer but I had no idea what an amazing asset good IT skills could be,” says Bryan.

He was able to create a brand new booking form to streamline his business, redesign critical client resource material, improve the look of his advertising and generate client mail shots to source new business. His self employed status meant that he was in a position to dovetail study time at the centre with his work commitments and quickly acquire new skills. The range of modules on offer ensured that all the knowledge Bryan needed to upgrade his business activity was there for the taking. 

“I really wanted to increase my internet and computer skills to help me with projects I’m working on at home but I also felt that it would be the confidence booster I needed for the future when I seek work,” says Jane.

For Jane, the most surprising thing about her studies was not the enormous and instant benefit that the new skills gave her, but the way in which she learned. Jane felt that she was someone that responded best in a traditional teacher/student setting but instead found the self taught element of the course refreshing and liberating. She found the tutors at the Learning Shop were encouraging, professional, friendly and readily available, giving her the relaxed and positive environment she needed to succeed.

Jane was a confident IT user and PA to a company director before a long term illness robbed her of some of her skills and mobility. As a wheelchair user with sight and hearing impairments she also suffers from carpal tunnel syndrome but chose to brush up her skills and enrolled at the Learning Centre. Jane is a determined woman whose rehabilitation was going well, but she felt the course would give her a much-needed boost.

“The word processing module has really helped me remember the skills I lost and I have benefited greatly from the one-to-one support from my tutor. I am now providing secretarial support to my husband and managing our strawberry farm, plus I have a plan to start my own company offering secretarial support.”

Jane is justifiably proud of her achievement and the speed with which she has progressed and credits the exceptional staff at the Learning Centre with playing a significant part in her success.

Instead of putting his existing computer skills out to pasture when he took early retirement, John chose to bolster his knowledge with ITQ modules from The Learning Centre. John has used his new found skills both to find part-time work that he enjoys and extend his leisure activities. He is well placed to offer his interest groups the IT support they need and has grown in confidence with every task he undertakes.

“I have completed three modules to date and I am really looking forward to the Artwork & Imaging module too. The ambience in the training centre at Rushden is perfect. The staff are friendly, obliging and most importantly, very patient. It is a course I would recommend to anyone who wants to improve their skills and thus their prospects.”

Leon knew that time out of work had impacted his ability to learn new IT skills and while he was confident with office applications he had no experience with the web. Understandably Leon recognised that he was missing out and so chose to study the word processing, internet and e-mail modules of the Learning Centre’s flexible and free IT course.

“This course allowed us to submit examples of our own work for assessment which, unlike previous courses, meant not having to worry about exams any more. I had previously been very unsure about using the web but all that’s behind me. I now use these applications regularly to organise my finances and plan holidays and leisure activities.”

The web is a powerful tool that Leon now has at his fingertips and when he is in a position to seek work, he is perfectly placed to harness that power to his advantage.

Tackling new IT and software alone can be a daunting and frustrating task and Mari knew that knowledge gained from her self study wouldn’t be enough to compete on the job market. Mari selected Word, Spreadsheet and Database as her three core modules from the Learning Centre’s flexible and free IT training and set to work improving her skills.

“I had been using the computer a long time but not using all the functions fully. The time I spent at the Learning Centre has been incredible and I have learned a lot more than I anticipated.”

Mari was able to work at her own pace and tap into the support offered by the hugely knowledgeable and professional staff. Since completing the course, she has successfully built on her skills, putting her in a strong position to re-enter the job market in the near future.

As a recent retiree, Peter wanted to take full advantage of his home computer and knew that new skills were required. He selected from the modules on offer at the Learning Centre and settled on Internet, Email and Word Processing.

“During my working life I had limited experience with computers and little demand to tackle IT skills and so when I retired I considered it an essential element of modern day living to have a computer available. I wanted to not only learn new skills but become both competent and confident and these modules have allowed me to do just that.”

Peter visited the Learning Centre and enjoyed the help, encouragement and support from the staff on-hand. He is now in a position to use his computer and the web to stay connected and fully explore his thoroughly modern retirement.

When Tina was given a challenging new task by her boss she knew the Learning Centre would be able to help her provide the perfect solution. Tina took up ITQ’s Word, Presentation Graphics and E-mail options to give her the skills she most desired to help at work and at home.

“I was able to really improve our planning for the summer term and create a supporting slide show to further illustrate the topic. My Head of Year couldn’t fail to be impressed!”

Tina also used her new found skills to create a slide show of her holiday snaps and keep in touch with groups and individuals via e-mail.

“Everyone showed patience and understanding and instilled me with the confidence I needed to succeed. The Centre itself is the perfect environment to study and the inherent flexibility is just another brilliant facet to this well-run Learning Centre.”