Varsha Builds Confidence and Digital Skills with Grow

Varsha came across the Grow website while searching for help to return to work. After spending over a decade volunteering and working part-time for a local yoghurt company, which later closed down, she had been out of work for two years and was ready for a new start.

“I wasn’t sure at first if Grow was right for me,” Varsha said, “but when I contacted the team, they encouraged me to come along. I’m so glad I did.”

Since joining the Grow programme in September, Varsha has taken part in a range of sessions, from CV writing and interview skills to our five-week Grow Digital course which is delivered by Learn Hillingdon for Grow participants. She says the experience has helped her gain clarity, build confidence, and connect with others in a similar situation.

“The CV session was so helpful,” she said. “There were things on my CV I’d left there for years because I didn’t know what mattered and what didn’t. Now it feels much more focused.”

Grow Digital was another turning point. While Varsha had previous experience using computers, the course helped her get to grips with tools like Google Docs, Gmail, and Google Classroom, and understand how to stay safe online. “There were a lot of things I hadn’t used before,” she said. “And I learned new things, even about how to protect my phone and manage screen time.”

The course also gave her a chance to support others in the group. “It really boosted my confidence to be able to help some of the women who were less familiar with computers,” Varsha shared. “By the end, they were logging in, filling out forms, and feeling much more independent.”

Varsha has now completed her assessment and is looking at volunteering opportunities to gain more experience before applying for part-time work. She’s still actively involved with Grow and continues to attend sessions.

“It’s been such a positive experience,” she said. “I just needed someone to guide me and Grow has done exactly that.”