BBC tells Brian’s story

08/06/2010

Brian Clissold pictured with BBC Journalist Joanne Babbage

61-year-old Brian Clissold's colourful life has been defined by one shocking fact - up until the age of 27, he was unable to read or write at all, but thanks to a phone call to the College two years ago, Brian is now enrolled on an Entry 2 adult literacy Skills for Life course, his reading and writing is much improved, and he's discovered a new passion for reading biographies!

Growing up in rural Somerset, Brian, who was only recently confirmed as dyslexic, fell behind at school, and was never able to catch up, due to a lack of understanding of his condition by teachers. This resulted in him taking on unskilled work once he left school despite demonstrating excellent business acumen. He worked mainly in the hospitality industry in roles such as night porter, casino waiter and eventually as a hotelier himself.

Although Brian has no regrets, and has been comfortably retired for over five years, he often wonders what his life might have been like if he had been literate from school-age. He now attends weekly lessons and tutorials at the Crawley campus, and has progressed enough to master the basics of writing and sending emails, which was one of his goals.

BBC Journalist Joanne Babbage visited the College this week to profile Brian's story and that of other Skills for Life learners, as in light of the economic downturn, more and more adults are turning to training to make themselves more employable.
Read Jo's article on the BBC News web by clicking here.