In November 2019 Carol Hillaby from the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union was approached by two Italian workers at Allied Bakeries in Stevenage, who asked her if she could help them improve their English.

Carol is a Project Worker with the BFAWU Learning Services Team and said “Si!” straight away.

Carol explained that Antonino Riviezzo and Marcelo Tronca very proud to say they are the only Italians at Allied Stevenage and very keen to have some help with their English.

Carol said;

I sat with them both and got them to complete the BKSB (Basic and Key Skills Builder ) paper based assessment to gauge their levels and found that their levels were quite good so I bought training provider KEITS on site to assess them ready for signing up.”

Antonino was assessed and enrolled on a Level 1 course whilst Marcelo was enrolled on Entry Level 3 and they set to work on their courses.

Carol said:

By May 2020 the guys were ready for testing but, as we all know, Covid-19 hit us and made things a little complicated with attending the site.”

KEITS set up Zoom meetings with them both to test their Speaking and Listening and they passed this; it then got a bit harder because a tutor would have to attend site to do the next two assessments.”

With help from Andria Fuller, HR at Allied Bakeries, Antonino was able to do the tests virtually and has now achieved his Level 1 qualification. KEITS have now set up Marcelo’s testing for this autumn and Carol is in no doubt that he will obtain his qualification too.

Antonino said:

I asked for help to have a proven qualification of my English, recognized in the UK. I found out through Union representatives coming into Allied Bakeries in Stevenage about this, and if I had not meet Carol Hillaby in the canteen of my workplace I don`t think I would have actively sort a course.”

The course was free, easy to enroll and online and fairly easy to follow. The assessments helped me to understand what mistakes I was making in my English.”

The speaking part of the testing was online with two other students and two assessors, because of Covid-19. The rest of the testing was at my workplace with an assessor, which was helpful when I had doubts about questions. All tests were at the level that I expected, neither easy or too hard.”

Antonino was supported by the whole team of KEITS when he had questions about dates, times of testing and throughout the course he had calls to monitor his progress.

This is just the start for Antonino, who said:

If possible, I will move to level 2 because it could help me in my career, although I might be interested in other course too. It was my first time I followed a course online. I enjoyed doing it because it was done in my own time.”

I was happy to gain the qualification because I can put it now on my CV. The union helped me achieving it through phone support and meetings at my workplace in a very professional manner.”

I would highly recommend this way of learning because it was done without any pressure.”

Carol said:

It was a pleasure to help Antonino and Marcelo, they were really nice lads and wanted a bit of help to improve their English – something which would help both themselves and the employer.”

The BFAWU Learning Services Team is a project supported though the Union Learning Fund and, because of its close workplace links, can reach workers that others schemes would struggle with.