Laura had been unable to work for 15 years due to pain and mobility issues from a herniated disc, after an operation didn鈥檛 relieve the pain.
She was looking to get back into the workforce and learned about Neil Squire. Needing to update her computer skills, she was enrolled in the Digital Jumpstart program.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not that I have not got some basic general knowledge of computer skills, but because I鈥檝e been out of the workforce for so long, [. . .] I wanted to go over them with somebody just so I could feel confident that I knew how to use them,鈥 she explains.
Laura received Distance Computer Comfort tutoring on Microsoft Office 鈥 Word, Excel, and PowerPoint in particular 鈥 remotely from the comfort of her home on Vancouver Island.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really a good program, because especially with COVID, to be able to do it via Zoom has been really great,鈥 she says. 鈥淸I like] the accessibility that it provides.鈥
Laura found it easy learning under her volunteer tutor Alexa, and could chart the direction of her lessons with the things she needed to learn.
鈥淲hen I would mention, 鈥楲ook, I would like to learn how to do this,鈥 she was able to, within the week, send me templates or exercises to try to do at home, before we could meet up so then I could have questions if I didn鈥檛 understand something,鈥 Laura explains.
鈥淭hose were really good, because it was interactive, but I was doing it on my own, so she couldn鈥檛 cue me with what I was supposed to do, I had to try and figure it out on my own, and I find that really helpful, because I find, like most people, when you do it yourself that鈥檚 when you really learn.鈥
Through Digital Jumpstart, Laura received Microsoft Office on her Mac, and a riser for her laptop, which allows her to put her laptop more at eye level, making it easier on her back. She also received help on connecting her wireless keyboard and mouse to her new laptop.
Laura is currently working with a job developer in the Working Together program, where her interests for employment include tutoring, working in an art gallery or museum, and writing and proofreading.
鈥淚t鈥檚 good to be able to say you have these skills and can use these programs, people I think take for granted that you can nowadays,鈥 Laura says.
鈥淸Digital Jumpstart] gives a person like myself a certain level of ease in knowing that you are up to date on the fundamentals of the programs and you have a basic understanding of what you can do with them, how to use them, and therefore when you do go into a position, that will be at least one thing that won鈥檛 be part of the learning curve.鈥