About Me
My name is Dave Black (the sites name may have given you an idea of that), before I had a stroke in 2001, I was a centre lathe turner making components for roller shutters, I also used to fabricate grilles and security gates. My disability has prevented me from continuing in the line of work that I was used to, mainly because my balance and co-ordination are still unstable (I don't feel that I would be safe working with machinery).
Unable to continue in the line of work that I was familiar with, I was encouraged to attend rehabilitation to get me back into working life. Part of my rehab was to learn some of the basic uses of modern computers, I had only ever heard of the words "Microsoft, Windows, and Internet", and I did not fully understand what they were. My first experience of computers was at school in 1972, computers then were nothing like the ones that I was about to learn about now.
At rehab I was seated in front of a computer and told to use the mouse to "click" on the "e" symbol, that would get me onto the World Wide Web, there I was, looking at things happening in other countries just by clicking this mouse thing - absolutely fascinating, I was instantly hooked. I have always had an inquisitive nature and I naturally wanted to learn more about computers, this made me realise, almost every office has a computer, if I learnt enough about them, then working in an office was my future.
I enrolled on computer courses, passed the exams, and became a competent user of the Microsoft Office Suite, I gained a sound knowledge of Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Publisher. Now what I needed was a job to apply my skills to, since no company seemed to want to employ me, I engaged myself in voluntary work and offered my skills free of charge to two charitable organisations. I was hoping that potential employers would realise that not only was I willing to work, but I was capable of work, and I was eager to learn anything they could put in front of me - sadly the rejection letters still arrived (most of them didn't even bother to reply).
I have continued to educate myself in the use and application of technology, I am not a master of any particular subject, but I do have a good understanding of spreadsheets, databases, word processing, desktop publishing, image manipulation/editing, and website design/building/management.
As retirement age approaches, I have stopped looking for paid employment for the simple reason – If employers didn’t want me then, it is unlikely they will want me now. However, I would be open to offers if someone required my skills, whether it be for the digital & technology, mechanical engineering, or general problem-solving skills that I gained throughout my life.