Sharon Lomax is 36 and lives in Connah's Quay. She first joined the Basic and Key Skills programme at Deeside College when she decided she would like to help her children to learn. Sharon had been working in her present job before she joined the course, but she also felt she needed to build her confidence up to help her at work.

Sharon worked on an individual work programme at her own pace and in her own time, so that she could fit it in with her work and family commitments. When she started the course, Sharon was referred to the Learning Support team at Deeside College for a diagnostic assessment. This assessment highlighted the fact that Sharon has Irlen Syndrome which affects her ability to read and write as easily as others. Sharon has Irlen lenses which she now wears, which have taken away a lot of the pressure, by relieving headaches and the eye twitching she was suffering from. She finds it a lot easier to read as a result and also says she feels much more confident (she had left school with few qualifications, because her Irlen Syndrome difficulties had not been identified, which had left her self-confidence very low).

In one year, Sharon has gained a distinction in her RSA Initial Text Processing exam and an OCN Spelling Strategies qualification. She took the computer exam and although she had exam allowances, she didn't need to use them.

By offering to be profiled as a student on this course, Sharon hopes that she might inspire others to enrol on a Basic and Key Skills course. She feels she has got so much out of the course and is convinced others will be able to benefit as much as she has. Sharon said, “I found the flexible course less stressful as I wasn't tied down to a deadline for attending a class or handing in course work. I found the individual tutorials very useful. The Basic and Key Skills programme is very relaxed, with no pressure and everybody is very helpful.”

Sharon is continuing with Basic and Key Skills to keep on improving her English and maths. She has also just enrolled on a further computer course with Learndirect via Deeside College.

Her tutor, Yvonne Cooke, is also very proud of Sharon's success so far, “Sharon has shown tenacity and enthusiasm for her work and has benefited so much from her efforts and coming to Basic and Key Skills. She is a delight to teach.”

For further details of the Basic and Key Skills courses, please telephone 01244 834564 and or email basicandkeyskills@deeside.ac.uk.