Chris Steele

After leaving school at sixteen with just a handful of qualifications, Chris Steele had very little confidence in achieving his dreams, and then he turned to learndirect.

Chris, now 19, tells his story: “When I left school I got a couple of jobs in local pubs whilst I thought about what I wanted to do.

“As months passed I realised I was still in a job which was meant to be temporary. I still hadn’t decided what I wanted to do and didn’t think I had many options.

“One day when I was talking to staff at Jobcentre Plus and they told me about learndirect courses at Aylesbury Library.  That’s when I decided I was ready to take the next step.

“As soon as I had a chance I went to Aylesbury Library, which is near to where I live, to enrol but when I did my basic skills test it showed there was room for improvement. I needed to improve my literacy and numeracy skills.

“I knew that I wasn’t particularly good at maths but always found ways around it. I just thought if it helps me to check my wages then it’s worth looking into. I signed-up for a literacy and numeracy course and within one month I had qualifications in both.

“Improving my basic skills really helped improve my confidence.

“Within two weeks of qualifying I got a job at Fresh Direct in Bicester.

Chris’ former manager Mike Goble supports Chris in his development: “Chris has a lot of potential and is learning more all the time.

Chris is now excited about the future: “Since I contacted learndirect my life has really improved. I’m more confident in myself and what I can achieve. I’m now learning to drive and saving up for a car.”

Chris has continued to progress his career and now works for a large confectionery company where he plans to continue to learn new skills.