A proud day at the office…

Many parts of my job bring fulfilment and pride, and remind me of the significance of our company motto and the career path I’ve chosen. To be in a position to assist talents of all ages to flourish within the working world is something I cherish and strive to maintain, but sometimes those talents need an extra guiding hand, and so it’s truly a great thing to know that those hands are out there doing just that.

This was certainly the case with a recent assessment process I had become involved in, and one that touched my personal and academic heart. Although hearing of ‘The REACCH Project’ through conversations with colleagues, I, like many others I’m sure, was not fully aware of the truly fantastic work that was being done there. Mary Pittman and her team run a tireless project that aims to give autistic and learning disadvantaged young adults the chance to develop and showcase their own potentials within a caring, comfortable and structured environment.

My work with the GHQ Functional Skills department meant myself and a colleague were able to assist in the invigilation and end processing of some of the learner’s Maths, English and ICT qualifications. Although only a small part of the process, I was able to see the end result of the excellent work REACCH’s tutors had put in, and the skills and talents of the learners that had been given the chance to nurture and flourish.

Although very individual, each of the learners had one thing in common. They all had their own raw talents and academic abilities but, through no fault of their own, had been unable to fulfil these within mainstream education. With the help of the REACCH Project, Mary and her dedicated team, this has been able to change, and in the case of the learners we assessed, each were able to pass their end exams, gain their qualifications and, in the process, produce a 100% first time pass rate across the board! This in itself was something I would normally sing high praise for, but getting to know the learners and their backgrounds made my pride level go even higher.

Each of the learner’s achievements were magnificent, but in the one case of a particular young lady it really put things into context. She had previously been unable to effectively sit a test throughout her whole time in education, but through the comfort and guidance of REACCH and her tutor she not only accomplished this personal goal, but sat and passed five exams in the space of two days! She, and all the others, truly are remarkable and an inspiration to all, and myself and GHQ very much look forward to the possibility of assisting in more accomplishment, development and recognition that will undoubtedly come from REACCH in the future. This really was a great few days at the office!

Lee Hanks
Business and Functional Skills Assessor