Mohammed is running a successful business after getting support to improve his English and digital skills from the Education Advice Service for Adults (EASA).
Mohammed was in a challenging situation when he was unemployed and lacking the basic digital skills he needed to start his job search. He began visiting the EASA after being referred by the Jobcentre where he took the ESOL and Learn My Way courses, and received a free tablet and data package. Through attending weekly online classes, Mohammed became more confident with both conversational English and using digital skills.
Mohammed wanted to set up his own garden paving business, but was unsure about where to start. The EASA taught Mohammed how to use Facebook for business and marketing purposes. They helped him to create a profile and how to manage enquiries. By working through the Make It Click courses, Mohammed learnt how to upload images of his work to his profile and how to send basic quotes, texts and emails to his customers.
Mohammed also received advice about self-employment and has studied some of the free courses on the HMRC website. This has allowed him to gain a better understanding of self-assessment, tax and national insurance contributions.
Thanks to the support provided by the EASA and Mohammed’s commitment to improving his digital skills, his business is growing and he now earns a good income. Mohammed can update all his profiles himself, allowing him to expand his business to include fencing services - he has even employed his own labourer and set up online trading accounts where he sells wholesale building supplies.
Mohammed is no longer unemployed. He says, “I never thought I would have my own business where I could earn enough money to live on. I am very grateful for all the help. I did not realise that gaining digital skills could open so many doors for me.”