 in my local hairdressers in Braunton and I liked the idea of working in hair and beauty. I remembered all that Allie said in my meeting with her previously and I emailed her to ask for help on how to go about applying.
Allie emailed me back and asked me to go and see her in college. Allie then spoke to the hair and beauty manager at Petroc and set everything up for me. Within a week I was doing maths and English and had the apprenticeship in my local hairdressers.
However, as time went by I decided that hair and beauty wasn’t for me, so I spoke to my boss and explained that I felt this wasn’t for me and thanked her for her opportunity. Again, I was out on a limb and wasn’t sure what to do next.
I contacted Allie again and she called me in to see her at Petroc. We went over all my options and discussed what I wanted to do. Allie always made me feel at ease and listened to what I had to say and what I wanted to achieve.
I am now doing a traineeship at Bright Start and Little Fishes and I can honestly say that I feel more confident within myself and am actually taking in everything that Allie is teaching me. Allie makes the course interesting and fun and makes everyone feel at ease.
I have always felt that I couldn’t achieve in a classroom setting and I would bury my head and I never felt I could speak out in lessons due to feeling shy and worried that I would say the wrong thing and people would laugh at me.
During the short time I have been working with Allie, she has made me feel that I don’t need to feel this way and I can achieve and do well. I honestly think that if I hadn’t have met Allie, I would still be burying my head and doing nothing with my life. So, I’d like to thank Allie for making me realise that I am worth it.
“The transformation in Holly has been quite dramatic. In the short time that she’ been on the traineeship her confidence has grown so much and, for the first time, she’s making plans about her future.
Holly had a tough time at school and was badly bullied, which knocked all her confidence. Eventually she has found someone who believes in her ability and I can’t thank Allie enough for all that she’s done for Holly."
Johan is on a Level 2 Apprenticeship in Light Vehicle Maintenance and Repair and works at Garage Exeter.
Johan Laarveld will graduate from his course in June 2017. Like the majority of Petroc’s apprentices, he will be qualified with plenty of hands-on industry experience.
Two years ago Johan knew he wanted to be a mechanic and that an apprenticeship at a forward-thinking garage was the best way to achieve his goals. He found his apprenticeship before starting the course at Petroc and we made the arrangements to provide the necessary learning programme. Johan attends college one day per week at our Barnstaple campus for instructor-led training – which he then puts into practice at work the following week.
It would be fair to say that Johan is addicted to cars and that the faster and noisier they are, the better. His apprenticeship at Garage Exeter exposes him to some high-performance vehicles and he benefits from expert training and guidance from his employers, who want to train him up to their level.
Last year, while on his Level 1 course, Johan was selected for a two-week placement at a Ford garage in Spain (despite knowing no Spanish)! Johan made Petroc and his employers at Garage Exeter proud.
“Take any experience you can get. All experience is valuable and will help you get a job. Attitude is key!”.
Robert Luxon is currently studying Wood Occupations at our Mid Devon Campus.
After school I started a combined A Level / BTEC course at Exeter College. I chose the subjects I thought I would like but after a year, I realised that I really didn’t enjoy the course and wanted to do something more engaging and practical. Also, as I live near Tiverton, I had to get the bus to Exeter and I found the service unreliable.
After I left Exeter College, I took a summer job (connected with carpentry) and my employer told me that Petroc offers practical courses to prepare for a job I actually want to do. My experience that summer convinced me that carpentry was what I wanted to do and so I enrolled at Petroc on the Apprenticeship in Site Carpentry, so I could keep my job and continue my education.
The course is great. The focus is more on the practical elements of carpentry rather than just reading about it and I have made friends on the course even though I am still in my first week.
Wood Occupations Levels 1 & 2 will enable me to become a carpenter in just a few years or I could continue my study and do the Level 3 course to develop my skills further.
My advice to anyone who is having doubts about their A Level course is simple – ask yourself - is this course taking me to where I want to be? It’s not too late to change your mind or your college. If you feel a move would be best for you, just go for it.
Now I have started at Petroc, I know I am on the path to the job I want. I made the right move.
“I initially started on a full time Level 1 plumbing course, back in 2013. I had heard really good things about the course from friends, so it was an obvious choice to come to Petroc. And then, after a year, I found employment with Flowtech Heating Services Ltd and switched to the Level 2 plumbing apprenticeship.
I’ve always been interested in plumbing, ever since I completed a work experience placement during school. I like the fact that, with plumbing, there is a real variety of work and you get to work on a lot of different projects. There’s never time to get bored.
I’m lucky that my employer is really supportive of apprenticeships, and makes sure that I get involved in lots of different aspects of plumbing, to give me as much hands-on experience as possible.
Last summer we completed a big project working on a Canadian-style house, with zero heating loss. This was a big challenge and we came up against a lot of hurdles, but it was a fantastic experience and taught me so much about renewables. This is obviously an area of huge growth at the moment, so it was really interesting to see some of the up and coming advances in the industry.
Apprenticeships are a great route into plumbing, as you have the best of both worlds; on-the-job training with people who are out there in the industry, supported by essential theory-based work at college.
I am now just coming to the end of my two-year apprenticeship. My plan is to stay with my current employer for the foreseeable future, and gain more knowledge and experience. I’d also like to think about doing additional training, and perhaps specialising in one particular area.
Olly Spear is studying a Foundation Degree in Computing as part of a IT & Telecoms Higher Apprenticeship.
Why did you choose to come to Petroc?
When I finished my GCSEs I knew I wanted to do IT. West Buckland did offer an A Level in IT but it didn't run because there wasn’t enough interest.
I then decided to attend one of the Petroc Open Events and learnt more about the BTEC in Information Technology. I have never been particularly academic, so the fact that there were no exams made it very appealing.
…And what made you pick this particular study programme/course?
After completing the BTEC I was keen to study at HE level, but Tim Barker – my course tutor – informed me about the potential opportunity of a Higher Apprenticeship with Travis Perkins. After meeting with them and taking a competency test I was taken on. I currently work for four days and have one day at college. Having the opportunity to work while gaining a Foundation Degree in Computing is a win-win situation.
Which elements of your study programme/course do you particularly enjoy?
I love doing Java and it's definitely my favourite subject. The way the course is set up - learning three subjects each year – means that you can really develop a solid understand of a topic; I've learnt about so many things that I wouldn’t have known even existed!
What have been the highlights so far (trips, visits, projects etc.)?
Since being on the course my knowledge of programming has shot through the roof. The fact that I am paired with another programmer while at Travis Perkins really helps me develop my skills. My day at college helps me with the theory side of the work I do during the rest of the week, so it’s a great way of learning.
What do you most enjoy about studying at Petroc?
I can’t say what I enjoy the most as I haven't yet completed the course, but currently it has definitely been learning about Java and computer systems.
What do you most plan to do when you leave college?
It all depends on what Travis Perkins say. I would love to go down to Plymouth and gain a full degree, but for the minute I am completely open.
What's the long term plan (further study, career etc.)?
I definitely want to become a computer programmer, and I feel studying an apprenticeship through Petroc is the best method of me doing so.
Any advice for someone thinking of choosing the same