Mike Lowry
Mike left school in 1979 with no qualifications and worked as a sheet metal worker until 2009, when his employer closed. Mike was worried he wouldn’t find another job, until he found South Liverpool Personnel (SLP) who offered him training and employment advice. He was encouraged to complete English and Maths level 2 and an ITQ course through Learndirect. With a renewed confidence, Mike was then offered a placement as an employment advisor with SLP, where he used his own experience to empathise with people, and this led to an Open University Openings Maths course. Mike is now a permanent member of SLP staff, a Team Leader for outreach workers, and is soon to complete an NVQ3 in Advice and Guidance.
Having had a kidney replacement during his latter years as a metal worker, Mike was keen to find work helping others so he could give something back – a longing that has now come true. Mike said of his experience, “Learning not only gives you the pieces of paper that you need to move on, it more importantly gives you the confidence to succeed and progress.”