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Profile: Sharon Smith
My name is Sharon Smith and I now work at the Glasgow Disabled Persons' Housing Scheme.
I left school without any qualifications and did production work in a factory. I got married and when I had a family I gave up work to stay at home to look after them. Once my children started school I returned to work as a part-time cleaner. Everything changed in the mid-1990s when my vision deteriorated to the point where I could not continue to work.
By this time I was registered blind and had my guide dog, Steffi. The disability employment adviser (DEA) at the Jobcentre referred me to the Supported Education department in Stevenson College where I began a 12-week Employment Rehabilitation course.
After completing the Employment Rehabilitation course, I felt confident enough to progress to a Training for Work programme called Edstart, which was run by the college for Scottish Enterprise. Several employers were partners with the college in the running of the programme.
The specialised equipment and advice available at the college was very useful. I started to use Zoom text and CCTV and this enabled me to learn word processing and other computer applications. My next challenge was to take on a work placement and I worked towards this with help from the careers adviser attached to Edstart.
I was lucky enough to be placed with Ethicon, one of the partner companies in the programme, and part of the Johnson & Johnson organisation. I worked in sales and marketing and was involved in several projects. Zoom text and CCTV were made available by the college and I was able to practise my new skills in a real office. My duties included word processing, faxing, photocopying, joining in meetings and being part of the launch of exciting new products. I never felt alone on the placement, as I knew I had the full support of the staff at Ethicon and at Stevenson College.
Everything was going well and then I had to face another big challenge: my vision was deteriorating again and became so poor that I could not complete the placement. Shortly afterwards I went into hospital and had major eye surgery.
This setback was not going to beat me. After a few months I decided I would go back to college, complete the placement and achieve my SVQ Level 2 in Administration.
My confidence was improving all the time and I was now ready to take a further step, so I enrolled on a new course called Directions, which is aimed at getting students with a disability back into work. A careers adviser who can help you get work placements and provide training in jobsearch skills assists students throughout. When appropriate the DEA is also involved.
With help from the Directions course and the DEA I have now been successful in finding my first paid job for several years. I am about to start a one-year employment training programme with Glasgow Disabled Persons' Housing Scheme. I will be following a training programme towards a work-based assessed SVQ qualification in Housing. For training in office skills I shall be attending college one day per week (and getting paid for it too!). This will allow me to complete the European Computer Driving Licence, which I have been doing on the Directions course. The Jobcentre is providing the equipment and software that I require through the Access to Work scheme.
My hopes for the future are that this training and more substantial work experience will lead to a permanent job. Then I should be totally independent and finally able to say goodbye to Stevenson College.
How does Skill help people like Sharon?
- Skill's freephone Information Service can answer enquiries from individuals who have developed a disability later in life about opportunities to return to education, training or employment. Tel: 0800 328 5050 (voice) 0800 068 2422 (text) Email: info@skill.org.uk. Open Tuesday 11:30am – 1:30pm and Thursday 1:30pm – 3:30pm.
- Skill has produced the new Into Work Experience guide for disabled people interested in doing work experience. The guide includes practical information and advice, inspiring profiles like Sharon’s and useful contact details. Into Work Experience is free of charge (whilst stocks last) until 31 December 2003. To order a copy, contact Ola Sokoya at Skill, Tel: 0207 450 0620, E-mail: ola@skill.org.uk
[Posted 28th October 2003]
