Andrew Evans has been a tutor/driver on Bridgend Libraries Cyberlink bus delivering IT skills, basic numeracy and literacy for the last five years.
He has introduced 3-week Cyberskills sessions, and introduction to IT, and follows them up by signing people up for learndirect courses. Indeed, most of his students have now signed up to these online courses, but Andrew continues to motivate and help them.
Andrew has delivered this service on his own for 18 months carrying on under difficult circumstances - continuing to inspire his students to carry on learning and encouraging many more to take the first step back into learning. He started his career in adult learning as a part-time tutor at Swansea College, eventually securing a full-time position at Aberdare College. From here Andrew re-trained via distance learning and became a freelance IT trainer, working with a range of organisations including the South Wales Fire Service, the Welsh Assembly Government and the DVLA.
He says, "I'd got to the point where I was meeting people through the freelance work, but wasn't able to build up a rapport with them as I was training different people all the time, and consequently I never saw the end results or any of their achievements. This job allows me to work closely with learners in the community which I really enjoy, and it provides me with the satisfaction of seeing people progress and break down barriers that have prevented them from learning new skills. "Andrew won learndirect's e-tutor award at the recent NIACE Dysgu Cymru Tutor Awards Ceremony.
