Brian was one of our outstanding learners on our Sunderland Returneeship course 2018 and we asked him to write about his journey with us; this is what he had to say.

After many years of working in data input, payroll and accountancy roles, Brian found himself unemployed through redundancy. Then the temporary contracts, he had taken on to stay in work, came to an end. Before he knew it and regardless of his best efforts he was unemployed for 18 months, which impacted negatively on his confidence. Luckily, his Jobcentre advisor suggested that Brian do the Returneeship course. Desperate for a change and wanting to refresh his IT skills and gain qualifications, Brian was willing to give the Returneeship a go. However, that did not mean he did not feel unsure or nervous about the course. Brian was aware that there was a secret project and his overriding fear was that he did not think he would be able to do it. Yet despite these reservations he pushed himself to attend the first day of the course.

After being told about the different roles people could take on during the first two days, Brian found himself drawn to the photography. Over the two days, Brian discovered he enjoyed taking the pictures and using the professional equipment. In addition, he liked working as a team and helping others in the group. This increased his confidence and he learned saying yes to things could have positive results. This all revealed that he was more capable than he thought. The following two weeks in the classroom only further reinforced and boosted his confidence in himself and the realisation that he had many transferable skills. During this phase, he studied for the qualifications he wanted and learned about various ways into employment, including becoming self-employed.

When the course finished, Brian decided he wanted to become self-employed and has since set himself up as a VivaMK independent distributor which he hopes to turn into a profitable business. On a personal note, Brian has also set himself the goal of representing the UK in ten pin bowling! His advice for others thinking of starting a Returneeship course – to say ‘yes’.