Gordon is the Neil Squire Society (new window)’s Distance Computer Comfort Volunteer Coordinator. Originally from Scotland (new window), Gordon met and married Cheryl, from British Columbia, Canada. She moved to Scotland (new window) to be with him in 2004 but in 2008, when her visa ran out, they made the decision to move to Canada.

Gordon has a Degree in Computer Science (new window), his A+ Certification (new window), as well as 15 years of IT support experience in Scotland (new window). Although he is highly qualified, he was having “great difficulty” finding work in his field. Eventually he decided to volunteer in order to gain the Canadian networking and work experience he needed.

Gordon searched the internet for volunteer opportunities without much luck, until he altered his search strategy and discovered the Neil Squire Society (new window)’s Computer Comfort Program. He volunteered in the program for 7 months until the Neil Squire Society (new window)’s eLearning Manager, Chad Leaman, hired him to be the Distance Computer Comfort Volunteer Coordinator.

One of Gordon’s new responsibilities is to match clients with volunteers who have similar interests and skills. “When I’m looking for a perfect volunteer they’ve got to be someone who knows their stuff but also someone who makes the sessions a bit lively.” remarks Gordon. The other half of Gordon’s job is teaching clients via Distance Learning (new window) and he tries to follow his own advice in that regard. By injecting a bit of humor, and by ensuring that the lessons are tailored to the client’s specific interests, he makes the lessons more memorable.

“Gordon has been able to draw on his range of technical skills and background to assist the Neil Squire Society,” declares Chad Leaman.  “He has previously worked providing remote technical assistance to various parts of Europe and America, so tutoring online is very comfortable for him. In turn, his ease and comfort in working online makes for a fun experience for our clients in Distance Computer Comfort. He plays a large role in making people who know very little about computers more confident in using PCs to further their goals.”