Alan's Story — 11 Sep 2009

Alan is almost 60 years old.  He attended Stow College in September 2007 as part of a group of learners from Flourish House, an organisation that supports people with mental health issues. The learning was tailored specifically for adults with mental health issues.

Alan was signposted onto this course because he wanted to develop transferable skills

He was shy and quiet and was affected by low self esteem and mental health issues. Core Skills Profiling indicated that Alan needed to develop his literacy skills considerably as he was levelled at an SCQF level 3.

Initially Alan kept to himself and did not participate actively.  His ICT skills were demonstrably ahead of his peers so his tutor asked Alan to help another learner.  This was a turning point for Alan who started to socialise and participate more.

He completed all three stages of programme and was levelled at SCQF level 5.  After scoring so well he said "I can't believe I have improved so much. I would never have done it without the support of the tutor and College!"  He has also noted massive improvements to his mental health and self esteem.  In August 2009, he plans to pursue a national certificate in Computing.

*Name has been changed to ensure confidentiality.