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Help your children with their homework

Improving your reading, writing and maths will help you in everyday situations, but will also make it easier to help your children with their homework, and will make you feel good about yourself.

nextstep advisers have already helped thousands of people get back into learning – the stories below are just two of them.

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Irena’s story - Building a better life

Five years ago, Irena, 31, had no job and nowhere to live. Today she has a full-time job as PA in a legal firm and owns her home

‘I was stuck in a rut and never seemed to settle at anything at all. I came across nextstep on the internet and made an appointment. My adviser gave me lots of practical advice about budgeting and how to think through what I wanted out of life. With her help, I learned to write a CV, fill in job applications and focus on what I wanted to do.

‘I’d always enjoyed using computers, so my adviser suggested I enrol on a course at a local college to improve my IT skills. After that, I was offered a temporary job in a busy firm of solicitors. I enjoyed the work and after a few months they offered me a permanent position. Three years later, I’d saved up enough money to put a deposit down on my flat.

‘The nextstep adviser was always incredibly patient and made a massive difference. If I hadn’t gone to nextstep I often wonder what would have happened.’ 

Darnell’s story - Getting ahead

Darnell, 26, never stayed in retail jobs for longer than a few months. But now he has a permanent job, a new scooter and some savings.

‘I found nextstep when I was walking round on a lunch break. I thought I’d got nothing to lose by going in. I was fed up standing around in retail outlets. The nextstep adviser was very encouraging and suggested I apply for a permanent job.

‘I told her I didn’t see how it would make a difference improving my maths and English, like she suggested. But I was wrong! I’m more confident and I apply for better jobs than in the past. I’m now working in sales, which I’d never have dreamt of doing before, and I really enjoy it. A permanent job has given me independence and lets me plan for the future.’

Charlie’s story - Building confidence

Charlie, 21, had always been mad about sport but left school aged 16 with three GCSEs.

‘When I was at school, the careers adviser said I should do a trade like plastering or bricklaying. I wanted to do something in sport but had no idea if that was possible or even how to find out more.

‘A mate’s mum told me I should go to nextstep to get some advice. My nextstep adviser helped me explore lots of different options. She told me if I went to college I could take a qualification in teaching sports.

‘When I was at college, I was diagnosed as being dyslexic. I received help in developing ways of coping with my dyslexia – and that made a big difference too. 

‘Visiting nextstep was a big breakthrough because the adviser gave me the confidence to aim for the job I wanted to do. In the past, I’d always felt as if I was the one who had to change to suit the job but the adviser showed me it was the other way round: I could find a job to suit my skills.’

More useful links

• Learning (over 50s section)
• Preschool development and learning (parents section)
• Money and work entitlements (parents section)

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