Sharon Hallas, 33 from Manchester is a mother of three.
She worked as a dinner lady before stopping work to look after her
children full-time. When her eldest son was at primary school, Sharon
found she didn't have the maths skills to help him with things like
multiplication.
After coming to learndirect, Sharon achieved qualifications in English and maths and with her new skills, she's also found a new job.
Friendly tutors
"I wanted to be able to support the kids with their schoolwork, and passing my local learndirect centre one day, I decided to see if they could help," says Sharon.
learndirect's friendly staff showed Sharon how a learndirect qualification in maths could help her to support her kids. With her tutor's encouragement, she also decided to take qualifications in English and IT too.
Learning to fit around your life
"Learning with learndirect was so flexible. I could do my courses in my own time, and fit it in around my family life. My confidence in my skills has grown so much, and now my son is at senior school, I know I can give him and my other kids all the help they need with their homework."
Qualifications that help find a job
Sharon's qualifications also gave her confidence when she looked at going back to work.
"Learning with learndirect has been such a benefit for me and my family. It means the world to me that I can support the kids' education, but it also helped me to go for a new job," says Sharon.
"I've now been working at my local hospital for 18 months and I work for the Special Police Force two nights a week too. It's something I never would have considered before and I'm really enjoying it!"