Case Study – Grant Tout

My name is Grant Tout and I am an Admin Clerk at Tesco Distribution Centre in Nursling Southampton. I have been in the job for about 15 years - in fact I have been here since day one when the centre opened.

I do use IT as part of my job but I am limited in what I can do and I always wanted to learn more. So when Usdaw kicked off some introductory IT courses in the DC I got involved straightaway. I enjoyed the classes and learnt a fair bit too. When Heidi our ULR told me about the advanced course I was up for that as well.

When I registered for the course I found out that we had the chance to get a nationally recognised qualification - an ITQ. I liked the idea of getting a qualification but to be honest it was the icing on the cake - I just wanted to improve my skills. We covered an awful lot of ground on the course writing documents, doing spreadsheets, preparing presentations, putting together publicity, email and searching and using the internet.

It was a thorough grounding and in the end, passing all the exams showed that I had learnt a lot and could apply it as well. The great thing now is that I can help my lad out with his computer work. He was a bit sceptical at first but when I showed him some short-cuts he could see that his dad had learnt a bit. I have helped him out with a bit of homework as well (though I am not sure if I am supposed to say that) setting out a leaflet in landscape and helping him with a PowerPoint presentation. That's role reversal for you - it's supposed to be kids helping their parents with computers isn't it?

It was a long course but I think you get past the point of no return. You don't want to blow it after all the hard work you have put in. It helps when you have a good tutor and Margaret, our tutor, was great. It was good to meet other people in the DC as well, the drivers and the chaps in the warehouse, you become a little team and that helps your motivation.

I think it's great that Usdaw are involved in learning. It makes such a difference to be able to learn in the workplace because it gives you the flexibility you need in a busy life. I was able to take time out from my work to attend the course and then pay it back later. To be honest
I am not sure I would have been able to achieve nearly as much if it was a typical course and I had to attend a college to learn. So, thanks to Heidi and to Usdaw for making it possible.