Roxana Mihaila
Roxana Mihaila has worked as a pass administrator and receptionist at the Park for the past 2 years. She was persuaded to visit the centre, near her office, by the centre’s staff and find out more about the learning opportunities that were on offer.
Roxana is from Romania and has lived in London for five years. She originally attended the centre to take an assessment, so she could brush up her English. Having completed the first module of her European Computer Driving Licence course, she is looking forward to progressing to the next stage.
She said: “Having an initial assessment was very helpful and showed me how much knowledge I had and what I needed to improve. I was not very confident with my English and wanted to get some help to improve it. The staff are very supportive and have provided me with advice and guidance on future career prospects.”
For Roxana, a member of the GMB union, having the centre so close to work has allowed her the flexibility to fit her course around her work commitments and take advantage of the on-site tutor. She said: “This course will help me in my day-today computer work and also with future jobs. IT skills are a ‘must’ for employers. I hope to pursue a career at a managerial level in the future.”
There are 10,000 people working on the Olympic site and village. Since the Community and Trade Union learning centre opened in January, the staff has watched the main stadium grow towards the sky and the huge site gradually transform from a James Bond like landscape towards a recognisable Olympic Park. Once the Games are over, many of the workers will have to find a new job. Thanks to the centre, Roxana reckons she will have even more to offer a future employer.
