Abdulrashid is a qualified optometrist who graduated from University in Norway.
To return to his chosen profession in the UK he knows he will need to gain UK recognised qualifications such as IELTs or Functional Skills English and Maths at level 2.
Low in confidence about his use of English, Abdulrashid joined an ESOL - Level 1 course in September 2021. He quickly completed the reading, listening and speaking components and is on track to soon finish the writing part.
Many of us would be disheartened at having to go through the process of proving our skills and knowledge again, but Abdulrashid has remained very positive and already shows great improvement. He is always enthusiastic and shows great drive to achieving his personal goals, yet he is also always willing to help others too. In his own words,
“ESOL gave me the opportunity to improve my speaking, reading and writing skills. Thanks to my teachers, Henry and Khola, I can identify my mistakes whilst speaking or writing. I am more confident to communicate with other native speakers.”
While he is studying, he is working as a taxi driver. He is also looking for voluntary work with the Red Cross now he feels more confident with his communication skills. Ultimately though, his goal is to pass the IELTs exams so he can receive the certificate from the General Optometrist Council (GOC) he needs to work as an Optometrist in the UK.
