John’s Learner Story:
John spoke about how his first experience of education was negative as there were no supports or assessments in place to help him with learning difficulties. His teachers did not have the time to give him one to one support. After school, John secured employment in the retail sector and worked there for over thirty years. However, over the years John battled with depression. This resulted in him deciding to leave his job in 2014. During this time, John had the support of his partner but there was a financial strain as he was out of work.
When John heard of the Back to Education Allowance he decided to apply for it so he could access further education and training. Once his allowance was secure, John applied for a Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) course. From this he hoped the qualifications, skills and confidence he gained would lead him to employment. John spoke positively about his experience on his VTOS course:
“I would highly recommend returning to education. The first step is the hardest – walking into the centre on the first day can be terrifying but it’s not like it was years ago.”
We caught up with John recently to see how he was getting on since we were last in contact in 2016. John has successfully completed the following courses; Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) Level 5 Creative Digital Media, QQI Level 5 Healthcare and QQI Level 5 Special Needs Assistant (SNA). He says of achieving his hopes of returning to employment:
“Without returning to education I would not have been able to enter a career in Healthcare… I am now employed full-time.”
John says taking part in FET has improved his life since he began his learning journey:
“It saved me from myself, years of depression and low self-esteem. It has helped me with fulltime employment in an area which I am comfortable in.”
We hope that sharing John’s continued positive learning experience, and the benefits he gained through VTOS, will encourage others to explore their own learning options.
For more information on your education and training options visit www.onestepup.ie or contact AONTAS on our Freephone Helpline on 1800 303 669.