Christine lives in Wrexham with her husband and grandson. Life changed dramatically for the whole family when her partner had a stroke and could no longer work. Christine now cares for her husband and grandson and because she receives Universal Credit, she needs to look for employment. “Looking at the available jobs, they all needed an IT qualification, so I decided to take a course and get qualified for work.”
Christine joined a free IT course run locally in the library. At first, she was nervous. “I felt silly to be honest - and I was daunted by the whole thing. I felt I didn’t know anything,” she said. “Going there was really the most difficult thing as I’d never done anything like this before.”
Despite her fears, she pushed herself to go: “I knew I had to take that first step to start paying the bills. But I also think I’d become a bit lazy about education. I was happy to find out that learning is something I like to do!”
Christine wasn’t alone on this journey. “Six of us started the course – so there was the added benefit of meeting new people,” she said. “I made connections with the people there – there were two women with me – which was great as they helped me when I needed support.” Working as a group also helped Christine feel less isolated and like she belonged. “It was a nice group of people that I got to meet during the course.”
The course helped Christine learn lots of practical computer skills that will help with her search for work: “I can now do lots of different things I couldn’t do before. I learned the basics like switching the computer on and off, but also more complicated things for me like dragging and dropping information and using spreadsheets.” These achievements have boosted her confidence: “I’ve built up my self-esteem,” she said proudly. “It gave me a taste for more – a desire to come to the different courses and challenge myself again.”
Christine admits it wasn’t easy: “I kept thinking about my grandson and husband – we need to pay the bills. That meant I wasn’t going to give up, but it was a challenge.”
The course providers made a huge difference. They offered a free, local course that was accessible and flexible. “It’s all learner-led,” Christine explained. “The course was run in a way that suited me, so if I was struggling, I got help, but overall, I was encouraged to work at my own pace.”
The tutor, Lauren, played a big role in making her feel comfortable: “She was really welcoming and put me at ease. She went over things again and again. Endlessly really.” Having individual laptops, a big screen, and a welcoming environment created a safe space for learning and trying things out. Christine summed it up: “It’s all heaven sent!”
Christine wants to keep learning: “I feel more confident and will do some more advanced computing courses in the future. I’d also like to do something with maths. Or maybe a wellbeing course.” She knows this is about getting back into work, but it’s also about personal growth: “I’m keen to find out about things.” Who knows where Christine will end up with her newfound enjoyment of learning – she’s definitely got the bug.