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When Gill first started thinking about training with WEA to work in an education setting she had some misgivings. “My coach at the Job Centre said ‘oh, you’ll be all right’, and I said ‘excuse me?! It’s been 40 years plus since I was at school!” Gill recalls. “But it was easy. I thoroughly enjoyed it; it was really brilliant.” 

All the classes were on Zoom, which is a programme that Gill had never used before. Gill’s tutor Jacky encouraged her: “Gillian really pushed herself out of her comfort zone, as she not only had to learn how to navigate Zoom, but she had to upload and access her assignments through Canvas. Gillian never gave up even when things weren't going to plan.” 

“It gave me a lot of confidence to learn how to download things, and go on to Zoom meetings and stuff like that,” Gill says. “I wanted to do a course about how to become a Teaching Assistant. Now I’ve actually done one, it was all online. I had to manage it all myself, which I’m quite chuffed about managing to do.” 

 Gill has now achieved her Level 1 Award in Stress Awareness, Mental Health, and Substance Misuse, completing three accredited qualifications and two non-accredited qualifications in a space of five months and all online. 

“Gill is an inspiration to all those around her,” Jacky said. “She supported others to help motivate them with their digital ̨��swag. I am so proud of Gill and all of her achievements.”