Shoe repair school plans floundering on training needs

Troy Avery, of Buxton Drive, is in a unique position.

Two years ago he fell through a covered manhole in Ninfield Road, sustaining injuries which cost him his job as a warehouse manager.He briefly returned to his original trade of shoe repair, but had to leave because, among other reasons, his hands could no longer work the machinery.

Since November 2007 he has been unemployed. After a period of depression, he became so stressed that he began to lose hair in patches, including most of his beard.

It was through passing on knowledge in the workshop that he and a locksmith friend hit upon the idea of starting a shoemaking academy to teach young and old how to make and repair shoes.

He said: "It's the kind of craft that's normally passed on from father to son, or through apprenticehsips. I think the next nearest shoe repair school is in Australia."

The shoe repair industry is one of the few benefitting from the current economy. His venture, the first of its kind in Britain, aims to collaborate with local colleges, offering learners the chance to specialise in related crafts such as saddlemaking and design.

Unfortunately, Troy is struggling to learn the basic IT skills he needs for research, to secure funding, and begin to launch his business.

Government schemes such as Pathways to Work offer computer training, but Troy's incapacity benefits do not qualify him for funding, and he believes such schemes are unhelpful for those who, like himself, have learning difficulties.

He said: "I tried government schemes but they were useless for me. The environment is wrong. I'm a very lateral thinker, I have to turn over all the stones before I move on. That's the way the academy will be, hands on with lots of questions.

"I need personal tuition, a one on one basis where I can make mistakes and be corrected. There are lots of people out there in a similar position. I want to work, I want to learn, but without computer skills I'm going to be unemployable. What are we supposed to do?

My son has to do all his work at college because I can't get a computer."

His hair has now almost regrown, and Troy is positive about the future.

He has tried many different schemes, and is full of praise for the learning opportunities offered by Sidley Community Centre in particular. However, it still takes him three days to hand write a letter and he is indignant that he and others in similar positions are given very little help.