Learner Videos
Download this video clip.Video player: ou_lay_-_new_start_30_sec.mp4
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Woman
I wanted to do it because I want to upgrade myself.
JP
I didn’t do very well at school. You know, I finished school but I did my exams but I didn’t do very well, so this is a start for me.
JP
Well I want to be a counsellor, so I want to be able to help people and I want to do counselling but I need to get a certain level of Maths and English beforehand.
Sarah
I’ve been studying to upgrade my skills.
Laima
And these skills are just essential for the inner life. Yeah so it might be the first step for the career.
Funmi
In order to be able to be a nurse, to be able to be a mental health nurse, I need my functional skills, English most importantly and Maths is important as well. I need it, it’s very important for me to make the progress in future and become who I want to be.
Grace
It will boost my career prospects more, It will help me to move to the other level in my business.
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Download this video clip.Video player: ou_lay_-_amy_30_sec.mp4
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Amy
My name’s Amy, yeah and I’ve got, like I’m a mum, I’ve got three little girls.
I’ve got two jobs as well that I do and then I’m obviously studying at the moment as well cos I want to be a midwife.
I’m studying an Access course into nursing and midwifery. I’ve been doing that since September. I absolutely love the course, it’s really, really interesting.
I’ve applied a couple of times and they were like, no, we’re not letting you on without it. So I decided I had to go back and do the English and maths.
I absolutely sailed through my Functional Skills, English.
I’m just happy to chip away at maths a little bit more.
This course will make a massive difference cos it’s giving me the opportunity to go on to university, which I never thought I’d be able to do cos obviously having children, I’d written university off.
But it’s given me the chance to actually do that and do a career that I would love to do for the rest of my life and obviously and a career that’s going to probably be better paid than all the part-time jobs that I’ve been juggling for the last 10 years.
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Download this video clip.Video player: ou_lay_-_confidence_30_sec.mp4
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Woman
I’m doing this functional school because I want that confidence.
Peter
Learning, it gives you something, you think, well maybe I can go out and look at a different aspect of what I used to be doing and it lifts you, it gives you a better peace of mind.
Sarah
It was a confidence thing. Yes, I can do this.
JP
And when I finish this course I hope that like it’ll give me confidence and get out there and get a job.
Grace
It will boost my confidence more,
Laima
With the employment as well, it builds self-confidence, it builds what you can do.
Funmai
It makes me have more confidence to face all the courses that I might want to do in future.
Peter
It does help an awful lot. Things like that just make life and living just that little bit better and that’s what it’s about.
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Download this video clip.Video player: ou_lay_-_damian_30_sec.mp4
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Damian
My name’s Damian. I’m 52 years old. I’m a mature student at this college. I’m doing Level 1 maths.
I’m actually a recovering alcoholic addict, believe it or not and I spend a lot of time helping other people that are in a similar situation as me.
I wasn’t really a school lover and I love it. You know, you’re never too old to learn and I do love coming here.
Well the game plan at the end of it for me is I want to be trained as some kind of paramedic and I really enjoy college.
I love being here.
Yeah you can go at any pace you want when you’re doing functional skills.
You know, like you can either be full on or you can kind of like have a bit of flexi-time.
It’s going to change my life. You know, it’s one step nearer to my goal.
I need, I need and I really need this. Anyone that’s like a mature student, that wants to like excel and wants to get something from college, then you know, it’s never too late to learn.
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Download this video clip.Video player: ou_lay_-_funmi_30_sec.mp4
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Funmilayo
My name is Funmilayo. I’ve been doing English and Maths for some months now and it’s been going on well.
So being able to be a nurse, to be able to be a mental health nurse I need my functional skills. English most importantly and Maths is important as well.
It makes me have more confidence to face all the courses that I might want to do in future.
It’s good to go for it when you are ready and never be discouraged.
I need it. It’s very important for me to make the progress in future and become who I want to be.
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Download this video clip.Video player: ou_lay_-_goran_30_sec.mp4
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Goran
My name is Goran. You have to have the key for the country and the key it’s language.
I’m a dad for three kids. At the same time right now, I’m working as a carer, This course, to complete it can change my life, to know where I am going for my future and even can be help for my like future for my kids, like what they’re going to do in their life.
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Download this video clip.Video player: ou_lay_-_grace_30_sec.mp4
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Grace
My name is Grace. I’ve been self-employed for over ten years now.
Until you get up and do it, then you realise it’s never too late. I started just a few months ago with this course. I have a home to take care of, I have a child to take care of, I have a business, so it gives me that flexibility. I can always study.
It will boost my confidence more, it will boost my career prospects more. It will help me to move to the other level in my business. Maybe on the same stage as Alan Sugar.
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Download this video clip.Video player: ou_lay_-_james_30_sec.mp4
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James
I’m James, I’m doing my functional skills to progress into my GCSE maths.
So there's going to be days where, you know, life gets in the way.
What I like, it’s just how easy it is to do around my life.
It’s great that I can still do the course while my life changes.
It’s given me that sort of stepping stone to get qualifications to be able to start work where you want to be.
It’s just going to give me the confidence to go to an interview and be like, I have everything needed to be able to get the career that I want.
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Download this video clip.Video player: ou_lay_-_joe_30_sec.mp4
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Joe
I’m Joe, I’m doing A Level 2 English and maths course at the Open University.
If you don’t understand something first time, you can just keep going over it until you get it, you know.
The harder things you can focus on more, if you need to and then you can do it at your own time, you know, have breaks when you want, you know. It’s all just flexible and easy, really.
It’s all online. I just come here for the tests.
It’s actually a necessity for me because I didn’t achieve the C grade at GCSE, so I’m kind of going back as a mature student.
You know, I don’t love maths but I have to do it, so.
The functional skills course will allow me to join a further Access course, which will eventually allow me to go to university.
I like the fact that the functional skills are a kind of alternative to GCSEs, so you know, they allow people who didn’t get the GCSEs to achieve what they want to.
It’s definitely worth doing and you can go at your own pace, you know. So I definitely recommend it.
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JP
My name’s JP, John Paul. I didn’t do very well at school. You know, I finished school but I did my exams but I didn't do very well.
So this is a start for me. Well I want to be a counsellor, so I want to be able to help people and I want to do counselling, but I need to get a certain level of Maths and English before and you need the qualifications so that you’re in a better position to help, you know, and plus you can be fully registered as a counsellor and a coach.
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Download this video clip.Video player: ou_lay_-_laima_30_sec.mp4
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Laima
My name is Laima. I work part-time, also have two children and do school runs every day.
It helps for your brains, it helps to build your self-confidence and also it helps to support your children at school as well, on homework, especially with the employment as well.
It builds self-confidence, You can value what education is as an adult with a family, more.
Yes, so it might be the first step for their career and this feels just essential for daily life.
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Download this video clip.Video player: ou_lay_-_peter_30_sec.mp4
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Peter
Name’s Peter, live on my own.
I’m not working because I have mental health issues. Learning, gives you something, you think well, maybe I can go out and look at work-wise, at a different aspect of what I used to be doing and it lifts you. It gives you a better peace of mind and respect.
It gives you a bit of a purpose and it gives you that satisfaction.
It does help an awful lot. Things like that just make life and living just that little bit better and that’s what it’s about.
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Download this video clip.Video player: ou_lay_-_rei_rong_30_sec.mp4
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Reirong
My name’s Reirong. I have a husband and two boys.
OK now you are playing your games, it’s my study time. Please don’t disturb mummy. I just study in the kitchen.
I need to learn language here. I will be so proud to tell my children, mummy’s also studying.
Yeah, never too late to start.
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Download this video clip.Video player: ou_lay_-_samanta_30_sec.mp4
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Sam
So my name is Sam. I’m studying the Level 2 Functional Skills in Maths.
I have three children at home, so at the moment I’m studying for my Level 2 Early Years qualification in childcare.
So my main aim is to go to university, but I need my Level 2 Maths, so that’s why I’m doing the online course at the moment because it fits in with the children.
Really easy because you can just go online whenever, either when the kids are in bed or you know, whenever you’ve got time, you can just go on whenever you want, any time of day, go through at your own pace and then just take the quizzes at the end when you’re ready.
So it fits in really well with family life.
Just think, you can go at your own pace, you know. You’re under no pressure then, you can just do it when you want to do it, take your time.
You can stop if there’s something you’re not sure about and you can just, you can go back to things as well, if you’re not sure and just take your time really.
So when I finish the course it’s going to make a massive difference to my life because it means I can go to university and get the job that I want.
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Download this video clip.Video player: ou_lay_-_sarah_30_sec.mp4
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Sarah
My name’s Sarah. I’ve been studying to upgrade my skills.
It was a confidence thing. Yes, I can do this, just take it slow, at my own pace and for people with kids, it’s brilliant, you know, schoolkids.
You could just fix it round your lifestyle really.
Just go for it, really. You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain.
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Download this video clip.Video player: ou_lay_-_tracy_30_sec.mp4
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Tracy
Hi, I’m Tracy and I’m studying Functional Skills Level 1 in maths.
I started it just over a month ago.
I work in the local school. I’ve worked there for 10 years.
Worked from nursery up to year 2. I’d like to learn more about maths.
I know I work in the school but I feel as though my maths is a little bit behind, not up to date.
It would give me the confidence to work with the older children and understand their maths.
I hated maths at school. I hated school full stop.
So I’m in comfort, I’m relaxed.
I like it because you can open and close when I’ve got a free minute and that, possibly Sunday afternoon and it’s still, I can go back to it and I haven’t got to re-start it and yeah.
It’s easy. I can do this. I’m going to do this and prove that I can do it.
I’m doing it for myself.
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