UK online centres

Chris's story

When Chris, 57, found out his new job meant using a computer, he had to learn some IT skills quick smart...

"Looking back you might say it was the first day of what has been a very challenging year," says 57-year-old sheet metal worker Chris Tomlinson, recalling the day in July last year when he walked through the doors of his existing employer for the first time. "I'd spent the first part of the morning having an induction course, and it was all going fine. Then the manager asked me to go on the computer and start looking through the maintenance information leaflets.

"I've worked in this industry all my life but I'd never so much as touched a computer before! I'd never needed to. There'd always been someone above me in the chain to do that and I thought it was something I'd just be able to sidestep until I retired.

"When I told the manager I didn't know how to use a computer he laughed and started to walk away! Once he realised I was serious, he didn't say anything but you could tell by the look on his face that he was surprised and disappointed. Quite frankly I was embarrassed. It was my first day on the job and, of course, I wanted to make a good impression. By not being able to use the computer, I felt I'd made a bad one.

"It soon became clear that all the manuals I needed to do the job had to be accessed electronically via computer, and I was the only person in the workshop who didn't know how to use it. It was like being stranded. I had to rely on other people to get the information for me, which wasn't a great situation. It slowed me and everyone else down, and made me unpopular with other members of the team. I was nervous all time, and out of place, like a fish out of water."

Stung by his nightmare start to the job, Chris canvassed friends for ideas on how he could bring himself up to speed with computers and someone suggested contacting Derby Library. When he phoned them for advice, he was put through to UK online centres project coordinator Claire Salisbury. She told him all about myguide, and invited him down to the UK online centre at Blagreaves Library that Saturday.

She explains: "Obviously Chris had to be at work all week so he needed to learn at a weekend, somewhere local so it didn't get too much in the way of the rest of his life. I don't usually work weekends but for Chris I was prepared to make an exception! We've all had that bad first days at work, but this one took the biscuit, and I knew we could help Chris make things better."

Having not set foot inside a classroom since 1965, Chris was a bundle of nerves when he first walked into Blagreaves Library to meet Claire.

"It surprised me how nervous I was," he admits. "I've always had a bit of a thing about computers - a blind spot, and I was really annoyed at myself for ignoring it for so long. I'd never even touched a keyboard before and I found things quite difficult and quite alien at first. Nothing seemed to make sense - you had to click start to shutdown. I thought, 'why isn't there just an off button?' I got very frustrated because I just couldn't get the hang of it at all.

"Just when I was beginning to wonder if I was ever going to get it, everything just clicked into place. I'm not sure if it was any one thing that helped me, but I can safely say I wouldn't have got anywhere if it wasn't for Claire, who was always very understanding and incredibly patient. She showed me around the different myguide courses and made sure we concentrated on the bits I need to know to help me at work.

"I improved a little every week, bit by bit, and the flexibility of the courses was an important part of that. I could go back over the things I found difficult again and again until they started to sink in. There's also little checks as you go along so you can see what you've learned. Gradually those checks started to get easier, and my knowledge started to get better."

After a month of intensive training, Chris could already see a difference at work. Not prepared to stop there, he switched from Blagreaves to Landau Forte College, where he is currently progressing through a range of courses offered by Derby Adult Learning Centres.

"The courses I'm doing now are building on the basic skills I picked up on myguide," he explains. "I haven't left it behind though! I'll carry on going back through the courses until I've completely outgrown them, which isn't likely to be any time soon! I've picked up an awful lot so far, but there's some way to go before I'd call myself a computer expert.

"Going onto the college seemed like the next logical step, but I would never, ever have had the confidence to do that if it wasn't for Claire, myguide and UK online centres! It's given me the courage and the confidence to keep on learning and keep on getting better.

"My life at work has completely transformed. Now I use the computer to order materials from the stores, set-up job numbers, look up specifications, access the manuals and use the email. I finally feel like part of the team, and it's taken the responsibility off my colleagues' shoulders. Now they're seeing the worker they expected when I started, rather than the one they got lumbered with! I also think my bosses appreciate the fact that I fixed the problem so quickly, and I hope it proves to them that taking me on was the right decision. At the very least it's proved to me you can teach an old dog new tricks after all!

"I'm eternally grateful to UK online centres for helping to turn my working life around and I'd encourage anyone to get down to a centre, get onto myguide, and get the help they need to get to grips with computers and the internet. If there's a level before 'beginner' that's where I was before I started, and if they can help me, they can help anyone. You just have to stick it and not get disheartened and you'll results in the end. Trust me - it is worth it!"