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Bedfordshire and Luton Chamber of Commerce
Example 1
Working in a factory employing about 250 people which is closing down. Most of the workforce have little or no experience of using a computer and will be disadvantaged when it is their turn to try and find their new employment. I have been offering 'taster' sessions designed to introduce the staff to a computer in an informal and relaxed style. One man who had been working on the production line for 27 years. After 2 sessions on a laptop with support throughout by myself, felt confident enough to book on a course that is due to start in March 2000.
Example 2
Arriving at a small village community hall on a cold and blustery day in Winter with the demolition of a block of flats taking place nearly causing dust to billow everywhere - I though, not many people would venture out for our 'taster session on a computer' ….How wrong could I be! Over a 2 hour period people of all ages struggled into the hall and after partaking of their customary coffee and cake my colleague and I set about finding some people willing to participate. With a little encouragement from us the first 4 people descended on the computers that were waiting.
One lady confessed she had been 'longing to have a go' on a computer and after her session was asking 'will we be returning?' Afterwards one lady said that her grandson had a computer and that often she found herself unable to enter into his enthusiastic conversation about his latest achievements. After just this one session she now felt that at least she had some little understanding and was no longer 'scared' and would now be more confident when chatting to him. She would now have the confidence to ask him to show her a little more.
Example 3
Computers ‘On the Move’
The Learning for Life bus was parked for a week in September, in the Town Centre of Bedford. The Team helped around 40 individuals per day. The people's ages ranged from 13 to 85. One group who came to explore the computers presented 3 generations, grandmother, mother and daughter - they were able to share and support each other through the learning experience together.
Example 4
The impact of a Tutor's who has been delivering on these projects
I too have found that gaining additional IT skills through this project have improved my relationships with my children who are 24 years and 28 years and who both work in the IT industry. No longer am I excluded from an area of their life as we have much to talk about and they have much to teach me! Indeed my father who is 84 years old has now joined this family band of enthusiasts. Last week for example he was surfing the net for information on genealogy and yesterday my son set him up with an Internet based e-mail. He is off to the local library today to pick up his messages. As we are spread across the country from East Anglia to Mid Wales to London, this new method of communicating has brought us closer together. Now I only need to bring my sister (a computer phobic!) into the fold.
