Lawrence James joined Birmingham International Airport as a temporary Information Desk Assistant in 2005.  Lawrence had left school without any qualifications but has enjoyed a career of 25 years as an Operations Manager with Royal Mail.  An accident at work resulted in a back injury, disability and early retirement. However, Lawrence was keen to find work and the customer service work at the airport was particularly appealing. Lawrence enjoyed his new career and was keen to secure a permanent job.  He sought advice on improving his skills and it was suggested that reading would improve his written English. Lawrence admitted that he did not generally read books but he would follow advice and he signed up for Skills for Life programmes to develop his skills and to gain some qualifications.  Lawrence has become a real book worm.  He advises colleagues and tutors on the best reads and has done wonders for the retail book sales at the airport!  He has qualifications in literacy and numeracy and is a real champion for learning encouraging others to take advantage of workplace learning.