Initial hesitation

Wiki has worked at Huntly Joinery for 12 years and was initially sceptical about the programme.

Wiki is a deep thinker and once he began to understand that the Aspire2 programme was not going to put him ‘back in a classroom’, He opened up to the idea of learning through contributing to class discussions and participating in group activities.

Wiki is a leader in this group and as such his actions are observed and can set the tone for the room. Wiki’s involvement gave others ‘permission’ to engage.

A shift in mindset

Wiki became a very diligent student, working hard to understand new concepts and ideas. He asked very insightful questions that clearly demonstrated that not only was he listening, but he also wanted to understand the topic fully.

Driving personal change

A key moment came through setting a SMART goal focused on improving his health.

“I have made a change in lifestyle with better eating habits, more activity and a mindset change… By the end of the year, I will be a different person for the better.”

This commitment reflected a broader shift in mindset and ownership.

Influence in action

As Wiki became more engaged, others followed.

His participation helped set the tone for the group, giving others confidence to contribute.

By graduation, he delivered a clear and confident presentation, demonstrating strong communication and well-structured thinking.

“You have opened the dark spots in my brain that have not been used since school. I love where I am at the moment due to a lot of things I picked up from the course.”

Wiki’s journey highlights how developing one individual can positively influence an entire team.