The terrified student

Ashley Love didn’t let a 30-year absence from school stop him from becoming an engineer. Photo Dan Hutchinson

Dan Hutchinson
Four years ago Ashley Love picked up his text books, tried to read them and then put them aside. His dream of becoming an engineer could have ended right there.
So when his work mates gathered in the board room at Aotearoa Seafoods, a huge table loaded with celebratory savouries and slices, the moment was sweet.
He could reflect back on a three and a half year journey that started hopelessly and ended with the National Certificate in Maintenance and Diagnostics in Mechanical Engineering.
Ashley turned 50 two weeks ago and says he never had any ambition to further his studies when he left school.
“Once I left school, or effectively got kicked out, all I wanted to do was work at the freezing works and make big money and reading was not part of my life at that time.
“It is a thing you shouldn’t lose, but for years and years I didn’t do any reading.”
His working life revolved mainly around fishing boats with all of his land-based jobs ending in redundancy, until he went to work for Aotearoa Seafoods.
He started off on the mussel harvesters but his break came four years ago during a three week shut down period in the Marlborough Sounds.
He and the other crew came into the Riverlands factory to do other tasks, tying knots and odd jobs around the factory.
During a smoko break he was asked to come and help out with some maintenance work in the factory and later learned they were advertising for an apprentice.
“I asked (the manager) how old the apprentice needed to be, he said ‘I suppose it doesn’t matter’ and that was it, I was in.”
It was not until later that the enormity of the task hit him.
“When Nick said ‘yeah” it just went bang, this is really involved. I was terrified.
“When I received the first of the books from the Polytech, I took a look at them and then left them sitting in my shed for four months.”
His boss asked him when he was planning to start and that was when he explained the extent of his literacy issues.
The company arranged for Robin Robb from Literacy Marlborough to assist Mr Love with his studies and she has been there three days a week ever since.
In total, Ashley has chewed through almost 100 text books and says motivation was never an issue once he confronted his reading and writing problems.
Robin says men are notorious for not reading or writing once they left school.
“They find it a big barrier. The jargon (in text books) is enough to put people off.”
She said Ashley overcame the biggest hurdle by simply getting started and admitting there was a problem. From there, he was destined for success.
Aotearoa Seafoods ceo Sam Hobson said there was a real shortage of engineers and the cost of course fees, training and leave for courses was an investment.
“At the end of the day he was committed to doing it. Irrespective of how the company got involved, it comes down to the individual’s own determination.
“This is the sort of thing that gives me a buzz … this is the people side of the business,” Mr Hobson said.