Let The Goodrich Times Roll Again: Helping An NVQ Learner Get His Zeal Back
In yesterday’s blog post about rebranding, we talked about our latest tagline.
Training done your way is partly inspired by the way we try to adapt every qualification to the needs of each individual learner. Today we’d like to give an example of what we meant by that.
Few people have come through the last 14 months unscathed. The pandemic and national lockdowns have tested the best of us. One man who found himself in a slump was Sheffield-based bricklayer, Goodrich Tolbert.
Goodrich started his NVQ Level 2 in Bricklaying with us last summer and was expected to finish before the end of the year. But when the pandemic returned in the winter and he was furloughed from work, the 31-year-old entered a bad patch. His motivation nosedived and the NVQ no longer seemed important.
We spoke to Goodrich about how he got himself back on track, with support from his NVQ assessor James Oldham.
Goodrich on getting his “zeal” back…
Goodrich during his bricklaying NVQ
“I’d like to say a massive thank you to James Oldham and the team at DMR Training for their patience with me.
“When I started this course, I had a zeal to do it, knowing that I was about to achieve something important. Although I started with a zeal, somewhere along the line it began to wither away due to the pandemic and my personal situation.
“As the pandemic intensified, my situation and circumstances worsened. COVID-19 has had such a massively negative impact on many people: mentally, emotionally, financially, and physically.
“I was on the verge of quitting my NVQ as I’d completely lost interest. I had no motivation or energy to proceed but James reinvigorated my desire to finish the qualification.
“On several occasions, I would communicate with James regarding my circumstances; he would listen, empathise, and provide advice like a friend. This completely restored my interest in the course.
“I would describe James as energetic but also as calm and encouraging. He’s a good person with a great sense of humour. He’s very professional and he’s great at what he does. Thanks to the level of empathy, kindness and encouragement he showed me, I was eventually able to finish my NVQ. I’m glad I didn’t give up.
“I would highly recommend James to anyone, and I hope he continues his good work as an NVQ assessor.”
James on how he supported Goodrich during the NVQ…
“I knew it would have been a huge shame if Goodrich dropped off the course. He’s a good bricklayer who deserves to have a qualification behind him.
“I tried to help Goodrich by reminding him why he was doing the qualification in the first place – to develop his career in construction, to earn more money and to achieve something that he and his family can be proud of. It was mainly about getting him to remember the important things. I know many people who have struggled during the pandemic. With Goodrich, I knew it was temporary, and that he’d be fine once his motivation returned and he got some momentum behind him again.
“We had a few heart-to-hearts on the phone and it paid off. I’m glad I was able to help Goodrich get the enthusiasm back to to finish the qualification. And Goodrich should be very proud of how he overcame a difficult spell during lockdown, and worked hard to achieve something that will really benefit him and his career.
As an assessor, I try to provide support like this for anyone who needs it.”