Robert – reviving old skills, learning new ones
A difficult split with his wife and a period of unemployment dropped Robert’s confidence to zero. He was negative about his chances of a job but joined one of Platform’s Everyday English groups to get help with application forms and to improve his spelling. He also joined the [Scottish History] group – he’d always been interested in Edinburgh’s history. A few months later he agreed to try the SQA certificated Communications group (as long as there were no exams!) and after successfully completing that he did the Introduction to Literature course.

Then there was no holding him back: he joined a Using Numbers group and later gained 2 SQA Maths certificates and an Options and Choices certificate. Robert’s confidence today has risen beyond all expectation … especially since he recently landed the job he’d always wanted.

Gehan – gaining skills for a better future
Gehan found that learning at Platform was ideal: she could learn at her own pace in a small group with as much expert help as she needed, she could easily fit in the 2 hours a week for each class, and there was no charge for the class or the crèche place for her baby.

Gehan will tell you she ‘didn’t have much time for school’ and periods of ill health meant that she missed quite a lot. She came to Platform to brush up on her English skills so that she could read to her children better and help them with their homework. A more interesting job was also part of her plan. She joined an Everyday English group and a beginners’ computer group and eventually gained SQA certificates in Communications and IT that helped her gain a place at Stevenson College, where she’s training to be a nursery nurse.