Career Development and Digital Literacy Program – 2021
Before attending Rexcel Training, I hadn’t realised I had any barriers as my work has always been physically hands on with Sports Therapies and Music for the last 15 years, which was very successful. Like so many it was COVID that threw that into disarray. Losing both my businesses’ income etc. instantly for 8 months I just managed with my savings, until I found that my businesses didn’t return to normal as I expected them to and bills came knocking at the door! So, I had to go back to what I knew a long time ago which was Hotel Management.
Realising that I had been out of a normal work force for 15 years with my own businesses, I had no Resume, no updated computer skills and I was “too old” for many jobs and computer illiterate by today’s standards.
Initially I was wanting to re-educate myself somehow however, I found myself in a situation where not all agencies were fourth coming or understanding of my history and was treated poorly. It was difficult for some agencies to understand that at a senior age, people like myself have gained many life skills and have been successful business owners already.
So, I kept asking the question and eventually my agency referred me to a free training course for computers I could do! Hallelujah!
I had very basic knowledge of PCs and programs as I previously had a personal assistant who managed these requirements. I didn’t go in with high expectations at first, as the modern technology world used to scare me. But I was eager to get a new business idea out of my head and put it into some sort of formatted file to build and work on, on my own. Then, I could build a new business, with minimal outlay, so that meant no P.A. Just me!
I found Rexcel to be resourceful and helpful without making you feel inadequate, useless, or un-educatable. I’m in my latter years at 54 and in my experience, a lot of employers are looking for younger people to train and employ. Which I feel is a shame as people my age group may not have the computer skills, but they do have an abundance of life skills that would reward any employer that would take a chance.
Rexcel Training enabled me to learn new updated computer skills, patiently taught by the Trainer who demonstrated patience and understanding of my fears and plight. She did not make me feel stupid but instead gave me a sense of empowerment and fired up my self-worth. She helped me slowly understand and learn something that was so fearful to me, but useful and necessary.
My lack of skills held me captive, but now I have the tools to seek new employment for the future and feel good about it. The outcome from my few weeks there was, the ability to move forward confidently and productively with new computer knowledge and skills for a new workplace. My biggest highlight was working on my own brochures and business cards with confidence. The Trainer has a vast amount of helpful knowledge, loads of patience and was able to steer me in the right direction continually.
This rewarding course gave me back some self-worth and a good feeling of accomplishment. I would like to re-iterate that in order for students to learn well, firstly you need a teacher like mine, who can connect with her students and being that this specific course is designed for mature people like me, it gave me a pathway to confidence.
Today I now work as a Hotel Supervisor again after only 3 weeks of starting as an employee. The knowledge I gained during the course relates with the work required in this field and I now feel confident and happy again. I have also kick started not 1 but 2 mentoring businesses called Buddy Up Mentoring, one for Transitional Home Care through the Department of Child Protection working with young adults and I also started a Motivational Speaking /Mentoring Program for Older women like myself that have found themselves out of work and struggling to get back in the work force due to various reasons.
This idea came to me while at the course, speaking with women that had lost many things including self-worth, confidence, and the drive to think outside the box. They just need some direction and help to find their strengths through various avenues! The course motivated me to connect with and bring together other networks and specific support groups tailored to our age group that I could connect these women to after my seminars, so they were not all fired up and motivated without further ongoing support and direction and an avenue to get there!
Christina Collins
Rexcel Training Graduate, 2020
