A crowd gathered at the Bedford Learning
Centre on Monday (Nov 21st) to show how they were better trained
for employment.
Collecting a range of certificates were adults
of all ages who had taken the first steps or moved further ahead
with IT skills.
Presenting the awards was the Mayor of Bedford
Dave Hodgson and Principal of Bedford College Ian Pryce CBE
together with Centre Manager Ingrid Parello.
Junii Whyte, aged 22, took up a course to
enable him to more effectively manage the clothing company which he
founded when at university with friend Will Winter. Now http://www.whytewinter.com/ and http://www.monacomoney.com/ were
flourishing businesses selling clothing made in the UK. Junii will
use Word, Exel and Access to run his accounts and stocktaking.
Former Company Director Tim Granger studied
ITQ Level 1 and 2 as a road to recovery following health problems.
He said: “Ingrid and her team have helped me enormously – they are
so supportive. I have brought along friends to the Learning Centre
who all say the same.”
Greg Warwick owner of Jeeves men’s hair salon
and his wife have completed a range of courses. Greg, who is a
Board member of the http://www.lovebedford.co.uk/ BedfordBID,
has already used PowerPoint to help him prepare a professional
presentation.
Martin Edwards and his wife Janice completed
ITQ Level 1 and 2 and said: “The skills we have learned here have
save us money in our new business MJC Underwriting which we set up
in July – they have been incredibly useful and we have been back
for some of the one day courses such as trouble shooting.”
Alma McKenna MBE decided to take up IT
training after a lifetime of achievement. Former General Secretary
now Vice President of the National Prison Visitors Association,
Alma has met the organisation’s patron Princess Anne on a number of
occasions. Now in her 80s took up IT study so she could keep in
touch on-line with her grandchildren.
Ian Pryce told the party: “This and two other
Bedford College Learning Centres have been so successful we are
thinking of opening more. It is a successful partnership with
Bright Learning Solutions – but the most important relationship is
with our students whoever they are, whatever age the are.”
Mayor Dave Hodgson had worked in IT training –
back in the days when BBC computers were the norm. He congratulated
the learners on keeping up with modern skills.
Winner of the prize draw to for a laptop was
Sue Hayhurst of Bedford, an advanced IT professional who came along
to brush up on some basic skills in software packages in her spare
time.
