Keri’s secret to success

“Just keep battling away at it. Don’t let it defeat you.” That’s the advice from Dunedin drainlayer Keri Dewar has for any fellow apprentices and learners who are struggling with aspects of their training.

Keri, a drainlayer with Shaw Plumbing where he’s worked for the past five years, has been working toward his qualifications with EarnLearn. While he enjoyed the training, particularly block courses, some learning difficulties meant sitting the final exam was a tougher challenge.

After a couple of unsuccessful attempts, Keri refused to give in and, instead, sought out the assistance of a reader/writer to give him the best chance of exam success. It worked. In September 2023, Keri proudly completed and passed his final exam.

“That felt really good,” he says, adding that what motivated and kept him going back to re-sit the exam was the need to “feed his kids”, as well as setting them a good example, by persevering.

Keri’s EarnLearn account manager Tarina Wyatt says his determination to succeed has been an inspiration.

 “I was concerned about the financial costs of him re-sitting when he has family to support, but he could see a bigger picture. It really opened my eyes to how important the qualification was to him,” she says. “I’m so pleased for him that he’s passed.”

Keri has plans to continue his studies, hoping to sit his certification exam in the near future. In the meantime he’s just enjoying the variety of his job and the opportunities it gives him to “play on all the machinery”.

For further information about support with learning differences visit this section of the EarnLearn website.