News   Foundations for further learning and a brighter future

Following a series of personal setbacks, 42 year old David Warren from Sheffield found his life in freefall.  Suffering from anxiety and depression, David needed to find something positive to help him get his life back on track, and found the Gleadless Valley UK online centre.

“I was made redundant after 10 years working in retail management,” explains David.  “I had recently been through a divorce and was just coming to terms with that when my father died very suddenly.  It really shook me up.  Everything came on top of everything else and it began to affect my mental health - I was diagnosed with clinical depression.  I simply wasn’t coping with anything and just couldn’t function properly, so not surprisingly it took its toll on my work.  I ended up being made redundant, which to be honest at first felt like a bit of a relief.  But I just never realised how hard it would be to find a new job.

“I applied for dozens of jobs and most companies didn’t even bother to reply or even acknowledge my application.  The job market has changed so much over the last ten years and it seems no-one wants to give you a chance to try something new if you’re over the age of 40.  With every knock-back or lack of response, my confidence and self esteem slowly ebbed away.  With depression it’s like you’re already in a black hole, and I could just feel myself sinking deeper and deeper. 

“When I first walked into the Gleadless Valley UK online centre I was looking for some support to help me get back to work.  I had experience of using EPOS (Electronic Point of Sale) systems in my retail work, but I had never really used a PC.  I had no idea about word processing or spreadsheets, nor did I have any idea how computers worked beyond my brief experiences at school, which were some time ago!  I realised that if I wanted to get back to work I would need to do something about my computer literacy.”

The UK online centre in Gleadless Valley, Sheffield is in one of the most deprived council estates in the country, with further education and computer literacy levels well below the national average.  Maxine Groobey, the project co-ordinator, put their success as a UK online centre down to making learning informal, accessible and fun.  As well as tutors to assist in training, the centre has two ‘Learning Champions’ who are tasked with making the entire learning process un-threatening, painless and enjoyable. 

She explains: “Informal learning is vitally important to people in this area.  We work with people who simply wouldn’t go into a formal learning environment like a college or even to adult classes at a school.  They will come in here because we’re seen as part of the community, and we make sure we make everyone welcome and start them off gently – building their confidence and skills bit by bit.  In David’s case he needed to prove to himself that he was capable of learning new skills.  Our approach was to coax him into learning in a stress-free environment that allowed him to progress at his own pace.” 

David continues: “I went into the Gleadless Valley UK online centre to get some help in my hunt for employment.  It wasn’t easy to make myself go in, but the staff were so friendly and welcoming it was easy to stay.  They talked me through everything the centre had to offer, and I just felt really comfortable.  They suggested I try a course, but there weren’t any structured classes or pressure to keep up, which might have been too much for me.  I hadn’t considered doing a training course, but once they explained it all to me I thought, why not? 

“I went on to do two courses in word processing and desktop publishing.  To my surprise I really enjoyed it.  I just felt really at home in the centre.  What was even more surprising is that I found myself with two UK Online Open College Network (NOCN) certificates!  I had something new to put on my CV and show my achievements, and it was a really good feeling.  I finally felt like I could do something right – that I wasn’t a lost cause after all.  

“Going into the centre to do my training gave me a sense of purpose and a feeling that I was doing something positive.  I’ve made new friends, met many interesting people and my confidence and self-esteem have gradually come back.  Friends have commented on how much I’ve changed over the past few months, they even tell me that I look better.  I certainly feel a lot better than I did a few months ago.  The centre staff have also helped ‘coach’ me with my interviewing techniques and now each job interview I go for gets better and better.  I’m less nervous and much more confident I’m actually going to get somewhere when the right thing comes up.  It’s also great to know that everyone back at the centre is genuinely wishing me good luck and rooting for me.  Depression is a lonely and isolating experience, so that support really means a lot.”

David’s experience at the UK online centre has allowed him to develop into more formal learning and he is currently four weeks into an NVQ in Business and Administration course through a scheme run by Valley Education and Skills Projects in partnership with  Sheffield City Council. 

Maxine adds: “The man we see now is very different to the man who originally walked through our doors.  He’s made new friends, found new strength and is now enthusiastically working towards a nationally recognised qualification.  He’s really employable, and it’s just a matter of time before someone snaps him up.  David’s case shows how very important soft-touch, informal learning is in getting vulnerable people to start making changes to their lives.  It’s an important stepping stone to help people on the route to more formal skills development or employment.”

The final word goes to David.  “My experience with UK online centres is not just about education, it’s helped me on an emotional level too.  I would never have considered doing an NVQ if I had not had the support and help from Maxine and her team.  My life has improved dramatically and for the first time in ages I feel optimistic about the future.  The centre is a very important part of the local community here in Gleadless Valley – it provides a lifeline for so many people.  I’m just pleased I found it when I did.”