Dawn Stoddard

Dawn Stoddard, 46, from Adlington in Chorley, has fought through various difficult circumstances to get herself back into work after 12 years of unemployment. Having suffered from a range of health issues herself, Dawn then nursed her terminally ill father, who encouraged her to make sure that when he passed away she got the qualifications she needed to help her get back into work. She went to learndirect and has not looked back since. She now works as a tutor/assessor for mental health sufferers and attributes her success to the qualifications she secured with learndirect.  

Having left school, Dawn went on to study at college, but she then began to suffer a mixture of health problems which eventually resulted in her having a hysterectomy. Then, when her father was diagnosed with cancer, Dawn didn't hesitate to look after him in her home, which she shares with her husband, Ian, and 15-year-old son Christian.

When her father passed away, Dawn was determined to get back into work, but having not been in employment for 12 years, she knew it would be a struggle. She applied for a range of jobs but had no success. Her local Jobcentre Plus then suggested that taking some further qualifications could help, so she went to her local learndirect centre to see what was available.

Dawn said: "I went to learndirect as I was computer illiterate, which I felt was holding me back from getting a job. When I walked into the centre I immediately felt at ease. There was a great atmosphere and the tutors were very understanding of the other commitments I had outside of learning."

Her learndirect tutors suggested that Dawn focus on updating her maths, English and IT skills, so she began working towards her levels 1 and 2 maths and English qualifications, as well as her ECDL and ITQ.

"I found the learning challenging but with learndirect you do it step-by-step so that helped a lot. It's also a very flexible system which allows you to do your learning online at home, which I found much easier than when I'd been studying at college. I'd wait until Christian went to bed and then pick up my laptop and do my learning. The tutors were on hand whenever you had any questions, and I often emailed them with queries I had and they'd be happy to help. What's more, I didn't have to pay for my qualifications because I wasn't working, which was a real weight off my mind."

Whilst doing her IT qualifications Dawn felt she had gained enough confidence to apply for a job as a community support worker for high-end mental health sufferers. She was successful in her application and returned to the workplace to embark on a new and rewarding career. She has since been promoted and now works as a tutor/assessor.

"My new IT skills have come in really handy at work as I write electronic reports as part of my role. I'm also now able to help my son with his homework and help my friends out too if they have any questions about their own computers!

"Without the help, support and confidence boost I have received from learndirect, I believe I would still be out of work. Thanks to them, I have, at last, been given the opportunity to put my new skills into practice."

"My family have been so supportive of my learning. It's been a struggle at times but everyone has been very encouraging – we've got through this as a family.

"From nervously walking through the doors, the experience with learndirect has been fantastic. Learning with learndirect has given me the chance to prove myself. It's given me real self-confidence and a future filled with hope. It's really changed my life and I'm even encouraging my clients to get involved too – I'd advise anyone to walk through those doors and get started!"