Robert's journey from low literacy to employment
A Story by Tutor Nancy
When 21-year-old Robert was referred to Read Write Now, he had never had a job and had very limited literacy. With steady, practical support from volunteer tutor Nancy, he began building the skills and confidence he needed to take a significant step towards greater independence.
A challenging starting point
Robert was referred to the Read Write Now program by an employment agency in November 2013. He was 21 years old and had never had a job. He had left school in Year 10 after spending years in ‘special classes’. Neither his parents nor his grandparents were literate, and he was the third generation in his family to experience unemployment.
Robert’s mother and younger brother both had an intellectual disability. At home, Robert played an important support role for his mother, helping with shopping and cooking, attending to doctors and support agencies, and providing company during the day. His mother was understandably hesitant about Robert learning and finding work because she worried that she would lose her main source of support.
Meeting Tutor Nancy
When Robert came to Read Write Now, he was assessed at Level 1, with a reading age of approximately six years. He was matched with Nancy, who had recently completed her tutor training. Nancy was retired and brought with her a professional background in aged care.
Early in their work together, Nancy noticed that Robert needed glasses. He admitted that he had once worn them but had thrown them away after being cruelly bullied at school. Nancy’s motivation, patience, encouragement and sense of humour gave Robert something he had not experienced for a long time: a person willing to teach him at a pace he could manage, without judgement.
Learning through interests and progress
Nancy focused on topics that interested Robert so that learning remained practical and engaging. She also kept a detailed album of his work, giving Robert a visual record of his progress. Over the year, the album became a powerful reminder of how much his literacy had developed.
Robert had a particular interest in cooking. With Nancy’s support, he joined a four-week food and nutrition workshop run through the local library. The experience helped him practise literacy in a real-life setting and brought benefits to his whole family.
Turning learning into employment
As Robert and Nancy spent more time talking, Nancy realised that Robert did want to work; he simply did not believe that anyone would employ him. She encouraged him to consider applying for jobs and supported him to prepare a resume and complete application forms.
A few months later, Robert was invited to an interview with a fast-food chain. Nancy helped him prepare through practice interview questions, vocabulary related to the industry and general interview techniques. She also encouraged him to present himself confidently, including having a haircut and shave and choosing suitable clothes for the interview.
Robert was successful and was initially offered 15 hours of paid work each week.
A major milestone: Robert moved from believing he could never get a job to successfully securing paid employment.
Supporting the transition to work
Starting work brought a new set of literacy challenges. Robert needed to complete an online induction that he had been told would take about an hour. Nancy arranged tutoring around the task. It took Robert two and a quarter hours, but he completed it successfully and came away with a good understanding of his new employer.
Their next session focused on reading bus and train timetables so Robert could travel independently from home to work. Over the following three weeks, Nancy encouraged him to talk and write about the duties he had been given on the job, helping him build the vocabulary and confidence he needed in the workplace.
One year later
After 12 months, Robert completed his time with Read Write Now and no longer met regularly with Nancy. He continued working at the fast-food chain and increased his hours to 22 hours a week.
At that stage, Robert was content with his new level of literacy and his part-time job. The arrangement gave him the best of both worlds: he could earn an income, continue developing his independence and still be available to support his mother and brother.
