Made at HRC Case Studies

My name is Mel and currently here at HRC I teach Sport & Exercise Science, Level 2 Gym, Level 3 Diploma in Personal Training (Practitioner) and Level 3 Diploma in Mat Pilates.

My Industry

I have had a lot of experience in the industry over the years. Prior to working at HRC, I was delivering classes; delivering fitness qualifications and studying my assessor qualification. I currently work for the Awarding Bodies directly, whilst running my own studio and owning a fitness-training academy, delivering a variety of industry related qualifications.

Using Experience to Teach

My experience in the industry has given me the ability to advise what the best practice is for the learners and how they can develop their career. It has given me an insight of what is out there for them, allowing me to stay up to date with current trends and be aware of the changing syllabus.

My Proudest Moment

My proudest moment is simply seeing my students succeed in their chosen career path.

My Advice

Work hard. Enjoy it. Keep learning and keep your CPD up to date.

Read more about our Sports courses here.

Meet Mel at our Open Events. Book your ticket here.

Amanda is currently studying HND Stadium and Event Management here at Hertford Regional College. Amanda will be completing her course in June 2020 and has recently taken on a new role here at the college as Community Schools and Marketing Liaison Officer.

Background

Prior to starting the course at HRC, Amanda raised four children and in recent years decided, she wanted to get back into education. “When my four boys became self-sufficient, I knew I wanted to follow my passion and gain a new qualification. For years, I worked as a freelance banker and as a bookkeeper and treasurer for my children’s football clubs so I could fit my life around them.” However, Amanda had always been involved in planning and delivering community events both “in my personal and professional life” so naturally, it was the next step in her career.

“I love being such a big part of the community so it felt right to gain a qualification to support with the planning of events and community cohesion”

The Course

Our HND Stadium and Event Management course offer an exciting opportunity to develop skills and knowledge in the event and hospitality industry and the specialist branch of stadium events. Amanda said, “This course covers such a wide range of topics such as customer service, marketing and operational management (my favourite)”

“As part of the first year of the course, I planned and delivered the Ware Dickensian evening in support of Jan wing and the Dickensian Committee. It was a fantastic opportunity to own my own project and to witness the success of the evening; it felt so rewarding and definitely made it all worthwhile.”

“My favourite part of the course has simply been planning the events and bringing the community together. I’m also passionate about charity work, so it’s been exciting to be able to incorporate a number of local charities in the events I have planned.”

Challenges Faced

“At one point before starting the course, I did wonder if it was too late for me to start a new career and get back into education. Although, I don’t think it’s ever too late to follow your dream and I don’t think this should ever put people off. The tutors on my course have been so supportive throughout my time here over the last three years, it’s been a phenomenal experience and I am so proud of what I have achieved.”

“What attracted me to HRC, in particular, was the innovative building and fantastic facilities – I definitely recommend the college as a great place to study!”

Future Goals

Recently, Amanda was successfully offered the position of a brand new role within the marketing team at HRC as Community Schools and Marketing Liaison Officer. She said “my ultimate goal was to work for an institution within the community and work alongside the Hertfordshire County Council to plan events for the local community. I have finally found my dream role and am continuing to work hard to build a career doing something I have always enjoyed.”

We would like to wish Amanda every success in her new role.

If you would like to find out more about the HND Stadium and Event Management Course we offer at HRC, please see here.

My name is Shelley and here at HRC I teach Functional Skills and GCSE English.

My Industry

I have an A-Level and degree in English Literature. Previously, I have also worked in the Construction Industry writing proposals to secure multi-million-pound contracts.

Using Experience to Teach

I would say one of my biggest strengths is my communication skills as this has been easily transferred into a classroom setting. After years of experience working in other industries and with so many people, it has allowed me to effectively communicate with all of my students, alongside developing my patience and customer care.

My Proudest Moment

My proudest moments are seeing my students complete their Functional Skills qualification or their GCSE, especially when this may have been an area they lacked confidence in at school.

My Advice

My advice is to always show a commitment and resilience towards working towards your core GCSE's, maths and English qualifications as this will improve your opportunities for employment. You never know where life is going to take you and to have transferrable core skills is invaluable!

Read more about our Functional Skills courses here.

Meet Shelley at our Open Events. Book your ticket here.

My name is Liliana and I have been teaching at HRC for over 20 years. Currently, the areas I teach and specialise in are the Creative Enterprise Foundation Degree courses, including, Fine Art, Visual Merchandising, Graphic Design and Three-Dimensional Design. Alongside these areas, I also teach HND Games Design.  

My Industry

Prior to teaching at HRC, I worked as an Interior designer for a famous Italian company in Milan, designing and curating kitchen showrooms. I found working within this industry has not only provided me with excellent attention to detail but also enabled me to obtain great communication skills. In Milan, I frequently met with manufacturers to visit showrooms and hotels and regularly dealt with clients to design CAD work for commercials.

Using Experience to Teach

My industry experience has taught me how to teach and deliver effective training sessions for my students. I am able to highlight what will be expected of them in the real world, in regards to composing initial ideas, pitching designs, working to briefs, gaining feedback and working collaboratively within a team.

I have been working with and around design all my life. Having that industry experience has really enriched both my knowledge and passion for teaching the next generation of designers in an exciting and creative fast-paced career.

My Proudest Moment

My proudest moments happen every single day: seeing my students constantly improve and get better is lovely to see.

My Advice

My advice to you is to never give up, work hard, play hard and you will succeed.

One Last Thing

Never say you can’t do it until you try it. Everyone can do it, just believe in yourself!

Read more about our Creative Enterprise courses here.

Meet Liliana at our Open Events. Book your ticket here.

My name is Ryan and I coach the Tottenham Hotspur Football Development and Education Programme in partnership with HRC.

My Industry

I have always been a full-time Academy coach, even prior to my time working with HRC. I have been working in youth player development for over a decade now, which really gives me that knowledge and understanding of delivering high standard coaching sessions that drive and push my students to succeed in the industry.

Using Experience to Teach

Working with players of all ages and abilities has helped me develop a greater understanding of how to analyse and better deliver coaching sessions. I use this experience to tailor my sessions to the needs of the students and their capabilities.

My Proudest Moment

My proudest moment is seeing my former students progress on to start their own coaching journeys and successfully pursue their career in the industry.

My Advice

My advice to you is to work hard, listen to our guidance, learn as much as you can and lastly, enjoy the game!

Read more about our Sport courses here.

Meet our Sport tutors at our Open Events. Book your ticket here.

My name is Chris and here at HRC I teach Level 1 Diploma in Music, Media and Production Arts, Levels 2 and 3 Diploma in Music Performance and Production, Extended Diploma in Music Performance and Production, HND Music and Level 1 Functional Skills in English.

Prior to teaching at HRC, I was a Course Team Leader at another college on a specialist provision for high needs learners called 'Springboard'

My Industry

I have a lot of experience in performing original and cover material at different venues and events across Hertfordshire using rhythm guitar, lead vocals and sound engineering.

I regularly organise, promote and host open mic and showcase events and currently play in three bands. I also have experience in the recording and production of my own and fellow musician’s original material.

Using Experience to Teach

Using my industry experience allows me to give practical advice in different areas of production and performance, providing realistic guidance on how to get into the industry and gain confidence and experience in these areas. I am able to assist with essential skills such as stage presence, organisation and technical setup to improve live and produced sound. By demonstrating, teaching and sharing these concepts, it allows me to support my students and develop their skills to a higher standard.

My Proudest Moment

My proudest moment is seeing my students excel in their own Final Major Project work, taking ownership of this and continuing to progress through to higher levels and develop their creative skills, attitudes and work ethic.

My Advice

Keep going and keep trying! Be yourself and be true to your music, try to reflect upon your progress, successes and setbacks. Consider what you can do to improve and develop your skills further and help you get better. My advice is to take risks in your creative approaches and you will find something new, exciting and challenging that will propel you beyond your comfort zone.

Read more about our Music courses here.

Meet Chris at our Open Events. Book your ticket here.

My name is Tammie and I have taught Beauty Therapy at HRC for 4 years. Prior to my time here at the college, I taught at London College of Beauty Therapy.

My Industry

I qualified as a beauty therapist in 2008 and have been working in the beauty industry ever since. I have experience in several roles including, a receptionist, beauty therapist, skin analyst, and salon manager within numerous salons, spas and skin clinics across London.

I have performed skin and body care treatments across levels 2 and 3, as well as a variety of specialist treatments. In addition, I have had the opportunity to work with a range of luxury and well established cosmetic brands and products.

Using Experience to Teach

My knowledge within the industry gives me confidence with delivery and assessment across all units. To help stretch, challenge and implement various strategies and methods that suit different learning styles and promote British Values.

My own experiences have helped me to prepare students for a range of scenarios relevant to each of the treatments and how to manage them when they present themselves in industry. To do this, I have carried out several enrichment activities which introduce students to new and relative treatments, demonstrating how to modify and adapt the treatments to suit different clients needs and expectations.

My Proudest Moment

My proudest moments are when a student says thank you, knowing that I have helped a learner take one step closer to their future career goals.

My Advice

My advice would be that is always important to learn and improve as the beauty industry continuously changes and evolves. You must never become complacent as there is always something new to learn. Be passionate, remain current, challenge yourself to be better and always strive for client satisfaction.

One Last Thing

I strive to provide an energetic, vibrant and effective learning journey for all of my students to ensure they enjoy their destination to success! I aim to inspire and instill the same passion that I have for the industry in each of them.

Read more about our Beauty Therapy courses here.

Meet Tammie at our Open Events. Book your ticket here.

My name is Katy and I teach Level 2 and 3 in UAL Diploma in Performing and Production Arts along with Level 3 UAL Extended Diploma and HND Levels 4 and 5 in Performing and Production Arts. Before coming to HRC, I taught and managed Performing Arts courses at a college based in North Finchley for 12 years.

My Industry

Prior to my career in teaching, I attended a private conservatoire for contemporary dance to obtain my degree in dance theatre. During my time there, my peers and I set up our own dance company where we performed regularly, called ‘Resident Dance Company’ for the Tacchi Morris Arts Centre in Somerset.

One of the highlights of my career was when we were invited to perform at an international art festival in Portugal. We were also fortunate enough to take part in the annual 'Resolution' dance festival in London at ‘The Place’.

Using Experience to Teach

My experience in this industry has allowed me to inspire students and to set a professional standard and work ethic. During my 20 years of professional dancing and teaching, I have gathered a vast amount of contacts within the industry that I use to help inspire the learners and provide them with great networking opportunities.

My Proudest Moment

My proudest moment at HRC has been watching all of the shows that my learners have done. It’s an amazing feeling when I see it all come together at the end, to see them all do their best and to see the reactions from the audience. It’s great knowing that all the hard work put in during rehearsal time has been worth it.

My Advice

"Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard" This quote is very relevant and I say it often to learners. Within the performing arts industry, It is not always about the most talented performers, but people who are willing to work hard for their passion.

One Last Thing

Never give up on a dream, but don't expect it to fall on your lap. You have to want it and be driven to achieve that dream!

Read more about our Performing Arts courses here.

Meet Katy at our Open Events. Book your ticket here.

My name is Henry Simmons and I teach Level 2 & 3 UAL Creative Media Production and HND BTEC Media at HRC.

My Industry

Before coming to HRC, I was a Freelance Director of Photography and Camera Operator. My experiences include a range of different projects including short films, feature films, music videos & documentaries. Having been trained as a cinematographer, and with a degree in Cinematography, I am able to deliver industry standard practical teaching that sets our learners apart from others.

Using Experience to Teach

My industry experience allows me to use real-life case studies to bring the Film and TV world to life within the classroom. My practical experience allows me to deliver industry standard practical workshops that will enable students to progress onto production jobs within the industry and develop as creative professionals.

My Proudest Moment

My proudest moment while teaching at HRC was during the screening of the final projects of the first group I taught. They had made a massive amount of progress to create some excellent work, which enabled them to progress to their chosen destinations.

My Advice

My advice to students who would like to be successful in this industry is to be socially aware of people and their needs. The best people I have worked with are the people that understand everyone's roles and the demands of said roles to adapt themselves to be the best team player they can be.

Read more about our Creative Media courses here.

Meet Henry at our Open Events. Book your ticket here.

My name is Adel and am the Programme Manager for the UAL Diploma and Extended Diploma Fashion and Textiles course. I also teach on the Foundation Diploma Art & Design course and the Creative Enterprise Foundation Degree.

My Industry

Before coming to HRC, I worked for a company as a designer and manufacturer of theatrical costumes for West End shows and overseas productions. I worked on costumes for a variety of shows including Cats, Les Miserables, Rent, Notre Dame de Paris and The Lion King.

Throughout my career, I have also worked with individual clients designing and producing woven wear, along with knitted and embroidered textile design production and trend-led knitwear design and sample production for the high street.

Using Experience to Teach

Having knowledge of various production techniques using a variety of materials helps me to teach students about the different ways of working within the industry and using appropriate machinery for production methods. Working for myself as a freelance designer helps when advising students on how they might consider promoting and selling their own work and costing it. Working with fashion forecast trends allows students to be aware of the specific fashion prediction themes they will come across when working in the industry and how they would use this information in their own design and production of garments.

My Proudest Moment

My proudest moment is when my students took part in St Albans Fashion week and accompanied their own designs on the runway in front of a huge audience of industry professionals and the general public.

My Advice

Fashion is an exciting area of study if you are prepared to work hard exploring your own style and the work of established practitioners, which will help you to build your creative ideas. Be resilient, committed and dedicated. It also helps to be aware of the art and design world as many of these disciplines influence fashion.

Read more about our Art & Design courses here.

Meet Adel at our Open Events. Book your ticket here.

I’m Tracey and I am responsible for teaching the Level 2 Hairdressing and Barbering and the Level 3 Hair and Media-Make Up.

My Industry

I began my career at HRC as a work placement coordinator in the Hair and Beauty department, working and studying until I secured a full-time role. Before coming to the college I was the Company Secretary of a sports memorabilia e-commerce business.

Using Experience to Teach

I began building my experience in Hairdressing by going into an apprenticeship straight after finishing school. I committed to working in a salon for the 6 weeks of my summer holiday for free, and then got taken on permanently and worked for them for 9 years. I left to set up my own freelance business.

Having experience in the industry helps you teach as you are always updating your own skills, which means you can pass these on to your students. I still run my freelance business alongside my full-time teaching role, which means I can incorporate up-to-date techniques in my lessons.

My Proudest Moment

Seeing my students achieve their goals and gain qualifications makes me so proud! I am also really pleased to have developed the Saturday Hairdressing classes HRC runs, and to have grown the number of students taking on the Barbering courses.

My Advice

Never give up! Get involved in every opportunity to expand your knowledge and build your competence and confidence. Always go the extra mile and remember you need to stand out from the crowd to get your name known. In an ever-changing world, you never stop learning – it’s so important to keep up-to-date.

One Last Thing

The students make my teaching journey enjoyable from induction at the very beginning to achievement right at the end. There are ups and downs but I help them believe in themselves and support them during their own journey.

Learning is a journey, not a race.

Read more about our Hairdressing and Barbering courses here.

Meet Tracey at our Open Events. Book your ticket here.

My name is Richard and I teach HRC’s English GCSE re-sit classes. Before coming to HRC, I was Head of English at a North London comprehensive school.

My Industry

After completing my degree, in the past 9 years I have successfully completed my NQT (Newly Qualified Teachers) qualification, became the head of key stage 4 literacy and lead an English Department for 3 years as a Literacy Co-ordinator and Deputy Head of English.

Using Experience to Teach

To become an effective teacher, I think you need to have three essential ingredients: patience, preparedness, and passion.

1.      Patience - I particularly enjoy teaching those who find the subject difficult; patience is key to helping them overcome obstacles allowing them to achieve.

2.      Preparedness - this is essential, both in terms of knowing what is going to happen in the lesson, but also in how a whole programme of study fits together and delivers the essential skills for success in the summer.

3.      Passion - this is arguably the most important of all: the teacher must be enthusiastic about their subject so that students can be enthused and motivated.

My Proudest Moment

My proudest moment at HRC so far is witnessing the individual successes of students I taught at the GCSE English results in the summer of 2018.

Read more about our GCSE, English & Maths courses here.

Meet Richard at our Open Events. Book your ticket here.

My name is David and I teach HRC’s Electrical Installation courses. Before coming to HRC I was the Subject Lead in Construction at Epping Forest College, also teaching Electrical Installation.

My Industry

I started off as an NHS apprentice in Cheshire so my initial electrical experience is industrial work, ranging from something as simple as fitting a plug to rewiring a whole hospital. I also have experience of panel building and working within the chemical industry too.

Since losing my arm I have worked for myself part-time, carrying out mostly domestic and some commercial installation work.

In 2007, before moving to the South East of England, I gained NICEIC Electrical Contractors status, again carrying out domestic and some commercial installations.

Using Experience to Teach

It helps if you are able to give insight into what you are actually teaching. I find that if you can relate the subject to actual experience it can really make a difference, especially if it’s a subject that’s hard to grasp, or if a student has never covered the topic before.

My Proudest Moment

My proudest moment would just be the students I teach as they are really great to work with.

My Advice

Turn up, take part, bring the right equipment and try to enjoy your lessons. From experience, the students who do this are the ones who are the most successful! J

Read more about our Electrical Installation courses here.

Meet David at our Open Events. Book your ticket here.

My name is Darren and here at HRC I currently teach Levels 1 and 2 Travel and Tourism.

Alongside my teaching commitments, I also fly part-time as long haul cabin crew for a major UK airline. My typical working week involves being in the classroom for a few days, followed by a few days in a far-flung destination such as the Caribbean, India, the Far East or the USA.

My Industry

Whilst taking a year out from university where I was studying to be a science teacher, I saw a cabin crew position advertised on a six-month contract and thought that would be a good way to spend the time before going back to my studies. To date, my gap year has lasted around 15 years and I am still flying. Throughout my time in the industry, I have worked for some of the biggest airlines in the UK flying a mixture of short and long-haul routes from low cost all the way to first class. I began my flying career with the World's Favourite Airline and I currently work for an airline related to Sir Richard Branson.

I have worked in a variety of roles in aviation, ranging from junior cabin crew to my current post as an onboard manager where I lead a team of up to 15-cabin crew on a Boeing 747 with over 400 passengers. I started teaching around 4 years ago as a cabin crew lecturer at a college in Glasgow. Since then, I have achieved a specialist teaching qualification and have reduced my time spent in the air so that I can spend more time in the classroom. I may spend my head in the clouds most of the time but I love having a great mix of working in the air and on the ground.

Using Experience to Teach

As well as talking the talk, I also walk the walk! This means that I am able to bring knowledge straight from industry to the classroom. I teach industry practices that empowers my learners to leave HRC ready for the world of work having received a first-class education from an established aviation professional.

My Proudest Moment

It is always a proud moment at the end of term when I get to congratulate my learners on realising their dream and achieving a qualification as a result of their hard work and dedication to their studies.

My Advice

Be passionate. Find your wings, pack your suitcase and prepare for the journey ahead.

Read more about our Travel & Tourism courses here.

Meet Darren at our Open Events. Book your ticket here.

I’m Richard and I am the Curriculum Area Manager for Electrical Installation. I am responsible for teaching Levels 1, 2 and 3 Electrical Installation on HRC’s full-time study programmes, as well as teaching Level 3 on the Electrical Apprenticeship. Before joining HRC I worked at Epping Forest College and Harlow College.

My Industry

Before moving into teaching I spent 11 years in the Electrical Installation industry working for London Electricity and Thames Water, which means I have experience doing both domestic and commercial work.

Using Experience to Teach

Working in the industry means I understand the full scope of knowledge that an electrician needs to work in this sector. Also, my skills allow me to practically demonstrate to my students the level that is required of them to be successful.

My Proudest Moment

My proudest moment so far has been working with a small group of apprentices to ensure that all of them passed their exams first time around.

My Advice

If you want to be successful in the electrical industry, think about this: the sector is entering a new phase with the introduction of electric cars. There will be requirements for charging station infrastructure both at people’s houses and at public locations. If you can learn about these new technologies, you will be able to bridge the gap in the demand for this type of work. Once you’ve learned this, you will need to put in the time to achieve the highest rewards.

Read more about our Electrical Installation courses here.

Meet Richard at our Open Events. Book your ticket here.

My name is Stuart and I teach HRC’s Level 3 Events Management course and the Events Management Higher National Diploma.

My Industry

I have a significant amount of experience in the Hospitality and Events industry. I managed my first restaurant at 20 years old and went on to spend 18 years running a variety of restaurants, public houses and a hotel. On top of this I organised a wide range of events within these businesses including new openings and launches, which involved lots of planning and managing large budgets. I also owned a small independent coffee shop for some time, alongside managing HRC’s The Atrium restaurant for five years.

One of my career highlights was overseeing the opening of the Miller and Carter restaurant in Brookmans Park. The site was the flagship restaurant and celebrities including Simon Cowell, Jermaine Defoe and Niall Horan have been regulars.

Using Experience to Teach

Working in Hospitality is extremely hands on, so I have a huge amount of experience to draw upon. I also have a large network of colleagues still in the industry which helps to keep my knowledge current as the industry changes quickly and I regularly take part in industry-related activities. The training side of the industry has always been enjoyable, so teaching was a logical step for my next challenge.

My Proudest Moment

 I Launched a partnership in agreement with a local employer owning over 130 public houses, restaurants and bars to provide work placements for students.

My Advice

Give what you want to do some real thought – there are so many roles within this industry. Whatever role you take on, you need to be passionate, outgoing, hardworking, reliable, flexible and able to work under pressure. The skills you will develop are transferable to many other industries, so you can switch careers in the future, and there are often lots of fast-track opportunities to managerial levels.

One Last Thing

I love teaching this course. We have built lots of practical activities and enrichment opportunities into the theory sessions so the course mirrors working in the industry. Students get to plan and host their own events including fashion shows, restaurant themed evenings and silent discos!

Read more about our Event Management courses here.

Meet Stuart at our Open Events. Book your ticket here.

I I

I’m Angela and I teach Business full-time study programmes. This includes the Level 2 BTEC Business Technical Certificate in Enterprise, the Level 3 BTEC National Diploma and the Level 3 City & Guilds Business.

My Industry

Before teaching I worked as the Creative Studio Manager for Debenhams. I was the first point of call at the design studio which was responsible for designing all visual materials required for branding and promotion. This included packaging, corporate merchandise, window displays, visual merchandising, seasonal displays and more. It all added up to 900 jobs per year!

Using Experience to Teach

Working in my role at Debenhams gave me the knowledge of how to run a department within a large business, covering areas such as marketing, project management of events and visual merchandising.

My Proudest Moment

My proudest moment so far has been raising £1500 for Teens Unite with my learners. Teens Unite is a local charity for teenagers with cancer and the money raised paid for a number of young people with cancer to spend quality time with their family. This included holidays and special days out; things which they might not have been able to afford. For my learners, this was an important piece of work which involved project and budget management, and working first hand with the charity. This experience is crucial when applying for universities and job roles.

My Advice

My advice is never to give up on your dream; employers love enthusiasm. Whilst working at Debenhams I would always look out for prospective students to hire who showed confidence and passion. It doesn’t matter how long it takes you to fulfil your dreams, as long as you keep at it.

One Last Thing

My job is my passion. There is nothing more fulfilling than transferring important knowledge to students, and already I have witnessed amazing results whether it be learners graduating from university or successfully landing a role within their chosen career. It is so satisfying to complete references for my students’ job applications! I can honestly say I love my job.

Read more about our Business courses here.

Meet Angela at our Open Events. Book your ticket here.

My name is Farzana and I am responsible for teaching Levels 2-5 in Business. This includes the BTEC Level 2 Certificate in Business Enterprise, the BTEC Level 3 Foundation & Extended Diploma in Business and the Levels 4 and 5 Foundation Degree in Business Management in partnership with the University of Hertfordshire.

Alongside lecturing, I am also the lead Internal Verifier responsible for internal quality assurance of learners’ work. More recently my name has been added to the list of BTEC Standards Verified for assessing BTEC’s brand new Business qualifications.

My Industry

Before HRC I worked as a lecturer in Business Management at Stockton Riverside College and taught various modules including Financial Accounting, Economic and Marketing Intelligence. I also worked as a trainee teacher in a community learning centre and welfare organisations.

Using Experience to Teach

I have over 20 years of experience in education which means I have an excellent ability to monitor learners’ progress and give constructive feedback. I am a proficient user of IT and enjoy using it for virtual teaching and assessment. I believe in providing exciting and innovative ways of learning that take students out of their comfort zone, using a variety of assessment methods for students to develop their professional and personal skills.

I have a strong education background, including a Masters degree in Business Management, a Masters degree in Economics, an undergraduate degree in Accountancy and a PGCE. All of this gives me the confidence to teach Business at a further and higher education level.

My Proudest Moment

I am very proud of the comprehensive workbook I created for my Level 3 Finance students last summer. All tasks and questions in the book help my students learn and revise topics in different ways. The book is available to HRC students only – no other college or schools across the UK has anything similar to help pass the exam!

My Advice

I always tell my students to follow three golden rules if they want to be successful:

1.      Choose the career you enjoy

2.      Stay focused and consistent

3.      Reflect back after every milestone

Read more about our Business courses here.

Meet Farzana at our Open Events. Book your ticket here.

Sevgi works as Lead Marketing Officer within the Marketing Department at Hertford Regional College and manages her own Apprentice within the team.

Initially the marketing team were looking to recruit an Apprentice to support with company structure. However, Sevgi was surprised at how “having an Apprentice in the workplace helped to bring a new perspective and also innovation into the team.” Hiring an Apprentice can be both a rewarding and fulfilling to have within a team and “it’s great to watch someone develop in such a short time and help to bring out the best in them.”

Adding value

“Taking on an apprentice has been great for the team's structure; we were able to offer our apprentice a permanent role as they have shown fantastic work ethic during their time with us.
It feels amazing to see someone progress and be a part of their journey in getting there. An Apprentice can really help to bring fresh ideas to the table and I can honestly say having an Apprentices contribution is invaluable.”

Recruitment

“I have had the pleasure to work with the Apprenticeship team at HRC on many occasions; they were extremely supportive during the interview process and are committed to ensuring they find the right candidate to suit the right role.”

Would you recommend Apprentices to other businesses?

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 5-star rating!

“I would recommend anyone considering hiring an Apprentice to go for it, it’s such a rewarding process and a great addition to have to any team!”

Apprentice employer Pope & Meads Ltd employs several apprentices and is based in Hertford.

The company manufactures components and assemblies for clients including aerospace, defense and commercial to a very high specification.

Of the company's experience in employing an apprentice, Managing Director Nick Ellis says it was a "very good and very positive experience. The college understood what our needs were" so that Pope & Meads could recruit the right candidates. The company regularly employs multiple apprentices and Nick highlights that "we want to continue that year in year out".

Nick says the company finds it beneficial to employ apprentices as they tend to be young, and younger people "thrive on change" - a key skill for the ever-changing engineering industry. Additionally, "they have been brought up with the latest technology so they aren't afraid of computers" which is critical for a company working heavily with CAD and CAM systems.

Nick's advice to other engineering employers thinking about taking on an apprentice is that "it is their responsibility to ensure that we have young people coming through, taking on the mantle of manufacturing high quality products".

When looking to recruit an apprentice, Nick says "we look for, first and foremost, enthusiasm. They must also have the capacity and will to learn. The rest we'll teach them".

Nick Malady-Rashford is currently an apprentice at Pope & Meads. You can read his story here.

Click here to find out more about recruiting an apprentice.

Apprentice employer Replas Machinery Ltd is a family-run injection moulding company based in Hertford.

Founded in 1981, Replas is managed by Richard Cannell as it's director, with his father (the founding member), mother and brother working alongside him.

Richard recognises that Replas is a small business and was unsure whether an apprentice would fit into the company. "Until about a year ago I hadn't really considered taking on an apprentice", Richard says, "but meeting with a couple of people from HRC put all that to rest. It's been an easier road than I imagined and I'm pleased we've done it".

After a long-serving member of the team retired, Richard had to make a decision on how best to fill the skill gap that now existed. He knew that it was important he find someone who could adapt to Replas' methods of working and hit the ground running.

It was for this reason that Richard decided to take on an apprentice; someone he could be confident would fully appreciate the intricacies of Replas. Scott joined Replas as part of his Advanced Engineering Apprenticeship in 2015 and will complete in 2018.

Richard recognised that the key benefits of bringing Scott into the company as an apprentice were "having fresh thoughts and seeing things from a different angle. Any input is helpful to help adapt and grow our business".

Click here to find out more about recruiting an apprentice.

Apprentice employer Smart AV is an audio and visual hire specialist founded in 2005 with over 40 full-time employees.

Based in Harlow, Smart AV works with high end clients from a variety of sectors to provide display solutions for anything from retail exhibitions to fashion shows.

Jane Piggott, Head of HR at the company says the experience of hiring apprentices through HRC is "a really positive one. Their employment service is extremely professional and has ensured the recruitment process is seamless".

Annie joined Smart AV as a Business & Administration apprentice in 2015 and within six weeks had settled in well to the company. Jane highlights that "she is extremely enthuasiastic and has quickly become a valuable member of our team. She has shown great enthuasism not only for her role but for her learning and development".

For Smart AV, Jane says employing an apprentice means that "they come in ready to learn, ready to engage and start on a good footing for a successful career with us".

Of working with HRC, Jane is pleased to say that she sees "our relationship with the college progressing from strength to strength in the future. They work alongside us to ensure the apprentice is a correct fit for the company". In addition to this, HRC ensures the apprenticeship units "are tailored to our business needs which benefits not only the apprentice but our company".

Jane would certainly recommend hiring an apprentice to any employer: "in our experience you gain an extremely dedicated employee. Someone with a thirst to learn and a desire to achieve".

Click here to find out more about recruiting an apprentice.

Antony Booth works at a legal practice named Sarah Waddington Solicitors in Ware as a non-levy employer recruiting 4 Apprentices.

Sarah Waddington Solicitors has over 20 years’ experience in many aspects of law. They pride themselves on providing a professional, efficient and friendly service to anyone who instructs their firm.

Antony thinks, “finding the right candidate from the CV’s is like finding a diamond…”

Why have you chosen to recruit apprentices?

Hiring an Apprentice within an organisation has many beneficial factors for the company. Antony said one the main reasons he initially recruited apprentices was to “support company structure.” Apprentices can often bring a fresh and positive approach to a company which “you get to nurture new talent for.”

Would you recommend hiring an apprentice to other employers?

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Where to start?

Our Business Development Manager (Jas) works at Hertford Regional College as our employer link. If considering recruiting an apprentice, this is a great place to start! Our Apprenticeship team works hard to find the best candidate suited to the role and the best fit for the team.

To find out more about recruiting your own Apprentice, contact us at:
Tel: 01992411821 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Kemlows are a well-established UK based company offering both Aluminium and Zinc high-pressure diecasting services. Founded in 1946, they have around 45 employees and are based in Hoddesdon.

Geoff Eustace, Technical Director at Kemlows was an apprentice himself in 1995, while Kemlows have employed six apprentices to date. Geoff describes his most recent experience of employing their current apprentice, George, through HRC as “very good and straightforward. We were sent CVs, which were refined to the specific position we was looking for, we then interviewed the candidates which went very well. George stood out from the crowd and we went from there, the induction process was very easy and our relationship with the college has been fantastic.”

Of George, Geoff says he has “excelled in many areas” and that Kemlows has benefitted from George as he is “bringing youth and enthusiasm to the company”.

Geoff believes “Any employer should consider taking on an apprentice, it’s the way forward. They’re keen, they want to learn, and they want to learn in your industry, so give them the opportunity.”

Click here to find out more about recruiting an apprentice.

Based in Ware, 'Bespoke Performance' specialises in TVR, Nobles and Maserati. It is a small business with a total of 6 employees.

Martin Russell, Service Director / Co-Founder describes his experience of employing an apprentice as “positive, all of the people who turn up to us understand what we want to start with, and then it’s just a matter of conversation to see how we can go forward with that. We’re very specialised in what we do, I need someone who is focused and wants to go forward in the specialised world.”

The benefits his apprentices have brought to Bespoke Performance is “because of the type of product we work on, we need to train people up and the only way to do that is to take on an apprentice – and we grow with them! In the beginning, it takes a lot to train them up, but once they get to grasps with what we’re looking to do and how we’re looking to achieve it. They then begin working on the cars!”

“Anytime I will be looking for apprentices, I will be going through the college. No doubt about it.”

Click here to find out more about recruiting an apprentice.

Apprentice employer 'Business Agent Ltd' is the alternative finance marketplace based in Ware.

Sasha Bright, CEO at the company explains his experience of employing an apprentice as “bringing fresh eyes to the business; they look at things in different ways. They’re looking at it from a younger generation and it gives us the opportunity to train someone and mould someone in the way that we want to. Especially in a very new industry like crowdfunding.”

After being an apprentice himself, Sasha was very keen to take on an apprentice. He believes employing an apprentice has benefitted Business Agent Ltd as “being a very young company you need to do everything on a budget” and there are certain jobs where you need to hire highly professional people. The apprentice can assist and work alongside that person and therefore learns those tasks (such as search engine optimisation, costs per click advertising etc.) and one day perhaps becomes that highly paid person.”

One of Sasha’s apprentices, Andrew, has now been at the company for 5 years after completing his apprenticeship. When Andrew started, “we put him at the base level and started with Search Engine Optimisation, which is quite a repetitive task but you have to learn the basics. Then we put him in design, the lead designer would do a design, give it to Andrew and he would fill up the concept from that. From an employer’s point of view that was great because we had someone who freed up our main website designers. Now 5 years on Andrew is our Web Server Manager.”

Click here to find out more about recruiting an apprentice.

Apprentice employer Hertford and Villages Children’s Centres is a public sector business with 17 employees and 1 apprentice.

The Hertford and Villages Children’s Centre provides information, support and access to services for all families with children under 5, working with other professionals to ensure every family has the support and services they need. These include midwives, health visitors, local preschools, schools and voluntary organisations. The centre also provides fun activities for families as well as parenting courses and adult learning.

The centre decided to recruit an apprentice as they “thought it was a good opportunity to give someone work experience while they are studying". After being told about the AGE grant the centre applied for this to support apprenticeship training. To recruit for the apprenticeship the centre advertised their vacancy through internal advertising, apprenticeship vacancies online, Connexions and JobCentre Plus.

The centre's apprentice Samantha is currently studying Children and Young People’s Workforce Level 2 at HRC while working at the children’s centre. Before employing Samantha as an apprentice, the centre had supported her as a young, single mother.

Senior Play Leader Paula Beckwith, says Samantha “has helped to free up existing staff time and bring a fresh approach and some new ideas to the team. She has also helped to up-skill existing staff in their mentoring and training capacity". For Paula, the benefits of employing an apprentice versus other recruitment routes is that “learning can be done in the workplace and training is tailored to the specific needs of the employer”.

Paula would recommend apprentices to other businesses and young people and says “we have already looked into having another apprentice".

Click here to find out more about recruiting an apprentice.

Bradley is a Motor Vehicle apprentice at Bespoke Performance.

Where do you work?

Bespoke Performance are TVR, Noble, classic car and Mazda RX-8 specialists. They provide a range of services including sales, service, repair and restoration & refurbishment.

Why did you choose an apprenticeship?

Doing an apprenticeship has meant I haven’t been thrown in the deep end. My employer has been supportive; letting me find my feet, not rushing me too much but giving me a gentle push and encouraging me to do better. They have also helped me to buy tools; giving me a loan for example

What do you do at Bespoke Performance?

My main responsibilities are servicing cars, packing away and opening up. It’s quite busy. Some mornings I take 20 cars out of the workshop. Because it is a small business we also work on other things, such as building brackets for the walls. It’s all useful.

What do you enjoy the most?

My apprenticeship has been quite fun. I enjoy test drives the most; going out once I’ve worked on a car, fixed something like a poor running issue and noticing I’ve made it better and it’s running really well - that’s what gives me satisfaction.

What have you learnt from your apprenticeship?

It’s been a positive experience. I’ve managed to learn whilst working. My employer understands I can’t know everything yet and that’s ok. The college side is like a normal course but part-time. I was shy when I first started at Bespoke, and now my confidence has improved since I started my apprenticeship. I’ve gained a lot of confidence.

What would you say to anyone thinking of an apprenticeship with HRC?

Tutors at college have been very helpful. If you need them they are there. They give any time I need, any answers I need. I can call them up if I need something.

Click here to find out more about apprenticeships.

Lina completed the Level 3 Diploma in Hospitality Management.

After studying Art, Photography and Drama at A Level, she began her course with HRC in September 2012 and completed in June 2014 having achieved distinctions.

Since 16 Lina always wanted to be an events organiser, but also wanted to learn a little more about the industry she was entering. The Hospitality Management course was exactly what she was looking for and it also helped Lina with her literacy skills which has furthered her communication skills within letters and emails to her clients. Lina is now progressing in the sector she has always wanted to work with.

Lina describes her course as "covering everything within the industry, from working within the restaurant as a waitress, to working in the kitchen cooking for certain events and marketing financials".

Lina is dyslexic and found one barrier was the ability to write essays. "I found it difficult to get my ideas from my head on to paper in writing. Creatively I didn’t have a problem, but when it came to essay writing, it was a daunting thought. Amanda Driscoll, my tutor really helped me to plan my essays".

"The main benefit of my course is the practical side. Actually planning an event and working within the restaurant really gave me an idea of what it would be like within the industry outside of college. The college has a great atmosphere and I felt very safe while I was there. The course itself was fantastic; I felt challenged but knew help was there if I needed it. The course has taught me new skills and showed me strengths I didn’t know I had".

Lina’s goal in the future is to open her own events company, once she has gained enough experience within the industry.

Click here to find out more about our Catering and Hospitality courses.

Jayne Goldsmith works at a construction company called Fire-Tec-Gold Limited as a non-levy employer, offering smoke ventilation engineering. The organisation currently recruits a number of Apprentices to help with company structure.

What are the benefits of hiring an Apprentice?

There are many reasons why an employer will choose to employ an Apprentice. This might be for long-term development, skill shortage, company structure or just the pure satisfaction of changing a young person’s life, there are countless benefits. Jayne said, “Apprentices are absolutely the life and blood of our business, we can train them to the skills needed for our niche business and provide them with the work ethic that we require to go forward.” Apprentices can often be the most loyal and committed members of a company. Jayne believes that the Apprentices they have at the organisation “are able to see the clear career structure for themselves within our business and they can also be positively challenging for our more experienced team members.”

“It’s simply a win-win situation.”

Would you recommend hiring an Apprentice to other employers?

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“Apprentices provide an ideal growth opportunity, especially in a niche Industry like ours. They also ensure that technically we are always on top of the Industry requirements. We found that their thirst for knowledge and enthusiasm for the work energises the entire team”

What was your experience like with our Apprenticeship team?

“Without a doubt, this has been an outstanding partnership which will continue.”

Our team here at HRC are dedicated to finding the right candidate to suit the employer. Through Jayne’s experience with the team, she said “We have learned as we have gone along. HRC know how committed we are to our apprentices and how excellent our apprenticeship is. Through experience, we are now in a position to identify precisely what attributes we are looking for in our new apprentices.”

If you would like to know more about recruiting an Apprentice…
Contact Jas (Business Development Manager)
Tel: 01992411821 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Nick is an Engineering apprentice at Pope and Meads Ltd.

Where do you work?

Pope and Meads Ltd. is a Precision Engineering Company which specialises in high accuracy, high complexity machinery and precision assembly.

Why did you choose an apprenticeship?

I finished my A-Levels and looked at the options open; I compared university and apprenticeships. I think these days the skills you learn on an apprenticeship are a lot more valued; you’ve got work experience as well as learning, rather than just a degree at the end of it all.

What do you do at Pope and Meads?

I enjoy that there are a variety of tasks; from machining to finishing to assembly - it’s a different thing every day, rather than the same repetitive boring process.

What do you enjoy the most?

One thing I was quite excited about was when I was working down in the milling section and I had a job that needed a very high tolerance limit of +/- 5 microns (a thousandth of a millimetre). It was challenging for me as an apprentice, but putting the skills to the test and managing to get it spot on was something else!

What have you learnt from your apprenticeship?

Pope and Meads is a successful company, so the skills I’m learning are valued across the engineering industry. They are also very welcoming – everyone is more than happy to help and show me the tips of the trade. At college I’ve learnt quite a bit on the health and safety side and all the essential basics for a workplace nowadays.

What would you say to anyone thinking of an apprenticeship with HRC?

“Go for it!” A lot of companies will appreciate the work experience later on in life. Also, it’s fairly relaxed at college. We have specialised tutors so any queries we’ve got are solved really quickly.

Click here to find out more about apprenticeships.

George is an Engineering apprentice at Kemlows Diecasting Products Ltd.

Where do you work?

Kemlows supply fully finished castings to a range of industries from Automotive and Electronics to Medical; across the UK, Europe and U.S.

What do you do at Kemlows?

My main responsibilities day-to-day are setting up the machines, running the machines, making sure they are running smoothly and adjusting settings on the cutters.

What do you enjoy the most?

My experience of my apprenticeship has been great, I’ve really enjoyed it so far. I just enjoy learning so much at the moment and getting the chance to work on these machines. I was one of the first to work on the Spinner CNC machine – it’s Kemlow’s most complex machine and it’s been a real pleasure; there’s so much to learn, I’ve learnt most of it but not all yet - I’ll get there! My favourite aspect of my apprenticeship so far would probably be working on the CAD. The OneCNC programme is just so new, it’s easy for me to use, and it just clicks.

What have you learnt from your apprenticeship?

I’m constantly learning on my apprenticeship; I’m given new responsibilities all the time so I’m learning different fixtures and settings. The college and my employer have helped me get to grips with all these things. At college half of it is practical and half of it is theory; most of the time we are in practical now.

What would you say to anyone thinking of an apprenticeship with HRC?

“Don’t give up. Keep going.” The support I’ve received from the college and my employers has been fantastic. It’s nothing but good. Always supporting me, always pushing me to go further.

“George has been extremely keen, extremely willing to learn, he’ll put himself out. If there is extra work to be done he’ll come in early to do it so he can see the process. He’s interested in the machines and the casting side of it, he’s shown enthusiasm throughout – so it’s great.”

Geoff Eustace, Technical Director, Kemlows Diecasting Products Ltd. (former HRC apprentice)

Click here to find out more about apprenticeships.

Ellie Graffato, Marketing apprentice at Hertford Regional College is currently studying a Level 3 apprenticeship in Marketing.

She began her apprenticeship in September 2016, straight after finishing her A-levels at the Broxbourne School, where she studied Sociology, Media, Photography and Applied Business at AS Level.

The process

Many of Ellie’s friends had chosen and completed an apprenticeship as Ellie says, “my school arranged sessions from apprentices and employers to inform and guide us with our next steps”. Following this Ellie knew she didn’t want to go to university and began to look into her options. After contacting HRC in search for an apprenticeship, Ellie went through a pre-assessment process, which involved the HRC apprenticeship team interviewing Ellie to decide which apprenticeship vacancies best suited her.

The perfect option

An apprenticeship was “the perfect option” for Ellie as “I was definite that I didn’t want to go to university, but I also didn’t feel ready to jump in the deep end with a normal full time job. I knew that an apprenticeship would give me the opportunity to earn money whilst gaining a qualification, along with experience.”

Choosing the right career path

Ellie had always been unsure of what she wanted to do in the future; “I always liked the idea of working in an office environment and a Business Admin role seemed like something I could do and progress in but, having always been creative, I wanted a role where I could use this within my work. Marketing had always interested me and I became more aware of it whilst studying Media for my A-Levels, which lead me to consider it as a career path.”

Responsibilities

Ellie’s responsibilities and day-to-day tasks consist “of posting and scheduling social media content, working and supporting on campaigns, writing copy for internal promotions, co-ordinating events and managing budgets..”

Overcoming challenges

Particular challenges that Ellie has faced within her marketing role include “copy creation and writing within the corporate college style. I also found myself getting stressed during busy periods at work, but my employer helped me to overcome this by sitting down with me to discuss my priorities and time management. Once I had reviewed and prioritised my work list to make it more realistic, I instantly felt better.”

Invaluable experience

For Ellie “the best way to learn is by doing and seeing and during my time at work I have learned so much. The experience I have gained has been invaluable and, along with the opportunities I have been given, have helped me to develop and grow.” Ellie would recommend apprenticeships because “they give you the opportunity to get your foot in the door, learning on the job, gaining experience and a qualification whilst being paid.”

Moving forward

Ellie hopes to achieve her ‘Level 3 in Marketing’ and progress within her Marketing career. HRC will continue to support Ellie on her journey to ensure that she manages to reach her future destination.

Click here to find out more about apprenticeships.

Lizzie is currently studying a Level 3 IT Games Development Course.

She came to HRC to begin her 2-year course in September 2016, straight from secondary school after successfully achieving 12 GCSEs.

A new experience

Having lived nearby since she was young , Lizzie has always wanted to come to Hertford Regional College. "HRC was my first choice! I’ve always wanted to come here! Living nearby, I remember seeing HRC students wearing their red ID badges since I was in primary school. I never fancied the idea of sixth form because I knew there was HRC to go to instead! A new experience better than school and meeting new people… the list goes on. I have also been fascinated by HRC and its facilities, just by looking at the college from outside I could see how advanced it was and that’s what sold me!"

The course

Lizzie explains the IT Games Development course as covering two different sides; "The creative element covers game stories, digital graphics and concept art. The technical side covers software/hardware used in businesses as well as the games industry. Within unit 1, the importance of employability and communication were embedded throughout".

Aiming high

In Lizzie's first year she successfully achieved Distinction* Distinction*. The IT Games Development course is male dominated; Lizzie is the only girl on her course and describes it as "empowering to be the only female on my course! It is really interesting and I didn’t expect that. We are all friends and have the same things in common so it’s great". Some of the challenges she faces include deadlines for long assignments but her tutors support her and she is happy to be on the course. Lizzie says the main benefit of her course is "learning about computer systems in depth and about business software, which is helpful for the future of work as well as within the games industry".

A bright future ahead

Lizzie’s future goals are; "to be happy with what I’m doing, I want to pursue a music career in the future, however, I would like to look at getting into working within the gaming industry".

HRC will continue to support Lizzie on her journey to ensure that she manages to reach her future destination.

Click here to find out more about our Computing and Games Development courses.

Emma has recently finished her Foundation Degree in Fine Art Practice.

Why a foundation degree at HRC?

Emma joined us straight from having completed her A Levels at Highfield Sixth Form in Letchworth, prior to this Emma was considering taking on a Higher Education qualification in the creative industry but was unsure where best to study. After visiting HRC for an Open Evening she knew it was the place for her: “the people were so friendly, the facilities were amazing and there was so much space to work” Despite the commute being quite long from Letchworth, Emma was set on undertaking the Fine Art Practice Foundation Degree. She wanted to live at home but still earn a degree and the ability to have “more one-to-one time and support” from HRC tutors was the deciding factor for her. Since joining, Emma has worked with multiple medias including digital design, film and photography, tackled work experience projects and studied wider issues that art can impact including social and ethical issues.

Being challenged

When Emma joined HRC she was conscious that her confidence wasn’t that high and it was something she wanted to improve. Moving from school to college meant Emma had the chance to push herself out of her comfort zone, meet new people and develop new friendship groups. She is also very happy with how her written skills have improved during her time at the college, which she is sure will support her in her future career.

The future

Emma has now completed her Foundation Degree and spent the summer travelling Australia with friends. After we caught up with Emma at her HRC Graduation Day and hearing about her summer travelling, Emma is now on the hunt for an apprenticeship in marketing, which our apprenticeship team are pleased to hear! Emma likes the idea of mixing creative and marketing and is hoping an apprenticeship will give her a well-rounded approach towards branding and campaign design.

HRC will continue to support Emma on her journey to ensure that she manages to reach her future destination.

Click here to find out more about our Higher Education options or click here for our Art and Design courses.

Ryan, Accountancy apprentice at HB Accountants in Hoddesdon won Apprentice of the Year Award – Accounting’ at our annual ‘Celebration of Success’ apprenticeship awards in March 2017. He is currently studying AAT Level 4 having already achieved Levels 2 & 3.

Place of work

HB Accountants are a medium-sized accountancy firm based in Hoddesdon and have been providing financial services and business advice since 1921. There currently have four Accounting apprentices who study at HRC for 1 day per week for their AAT. A number of those will then be selected to become chartered, with the firm offering them a training contract and paying for study and exams for 3-4 years to reach chartered status.

Getting into work

Ryan chose to become an apprentice because he wanted to “get into work. The thought of getting a head start on my career made my decision a lot easier. As an apprentice, I could earn money and study at the same time. The experience I get at work I can use towards my studies and vice versa. I do not have to worry about getting a job after studying, as I am set up to working in the industry. The benefits of becoming an apprentice are endless.” Before becoming an apprentice, Ryan achieved a Level 3 Diploma in Business Studies at HRC.

The apprenticeship process

Before being offered his apprenticeship, Ryan first went through an interview process at the college. “I had an interview with the apprenticeship team and also had to take an accountancy test (AAT greenlight test). The college gave my CV to the company, who then offered to give me an interview. The interview consisted of an aptitude test followed by a face-to-face interview with the partners. I was later contacted by one of the partners who offered me the role as a trainee accountant.”

Gaining experience

Ryan says, “I have always wanted to start working after school” as "students leaving university struggle to find a job due to having no experience. Apprenticeships can set you up for getting into the industry you want to work in. If you are learning a trade, the best path to go down is becoming an apprentice".

Ryan's main responsibilities at HB Accountants include “getting involved with our audit clients as I have now taken on a more responsible role in the audit department, preparing an audit file for the partner to review. I also help the trainees in regards to any accounts/audit jobs. Every now and then I will also be in the office where I can do an accounts job. This involves contacting the client, producing a set of accounts and posting them to companies’ house. I am happy where I am now as I am always learning and gaining more experience. There is a tall ladder before I reach the top and I look forward to completing the journey.”

Aiming high

Ryan is aiming to achieve his Level 4 in AAT and “after I have completed this I will start my chartered exams under ACA. It takes 3 - 10 years to qualify as a Chartered Accountant.” In the future, Ryan would like to own his own business.

HRC will continue to support Ryan on his journey to ensure that he manages to reach his future destination.

Click here to find out more about apprenticeships.

Simona is a current Health and Social Care apprentice who works at a care provider called Quantum Care Ltd. They provide care to the elderly and are one of 26 homes in the group with 66 permanent employees based in Bushey Heath.

The journey

Simona first found out about apprenticeships through her current assessor Amanda Devlin and says that the processes before being offered an apprenticeship included “assessment days”.

Before Simona began her apprenticeship she was working in a full time job, as she previously lived in Romania where she attended an IT College from 1993 – 1997 before moving to England where she has now completed her “Level 2 Diploma in Health & Social Care 2015 and Level 1 Functional Skills in maths & English at Harrow College in 2016.

Building a career

Simona expects to achieve her “Level 2 Functional Skills in maths and English, Level 3 Diploma in Health & Social Care and Level 2 Technical Certificate in Health and Social Care.” Having chosen an apprenticeship to “improve my English skills, learn new things and build my career, I am hoping that my apprenticeship will help me to attend university.”

Responsibilities

Day to day duties that Simona is responsible for is “To provide quality care by attending to residents’ physical and personal needs including, washing, dressing, bathing, toileting, feeding and any other personal needs. I also assist with the distribution of medication and promote dignity, privacy and encourage the independence of residents.”

“Working in care is a challenge for me. Every day and every hour is different, being active and having the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives makes me feel alive.”

Simona would recommend an apprenticeship “to everyone, because it is giving you the opportunity to improve yourself and build up your career.”

In the future, Simona plans to attend university to become a midwife.

HRC will continue to support Simona on her journey to ensure that she manages to reach her future destination.

Click here to find out more about apprenticeships.

Scott is an Engineering Apprentice at Replas Machinery Ltd, an injection moulding company based in Hertford who export to customers in the EU, Norway and China. They supply and support a wide range of businesses from small local companies to multinational organisations.

Making the right choice

Scott “chose an apprenticeship as I really enjoyed engineering and I wanted to go for a more practical path rather than university. The involvement with a company and industry seemed like a more attractive prospect than a more academic route.”

Having an impact

On a day-to-day basis, with it being a smaller company Scott does many different things: “machine operation, machine setting, material selection and even packing. You get to see a range of things; you understand and can see the wider business aspect rather than just what you do.”

Scott enjoys “being able to see a product that you’ve helped create go from material, through a machine, come out as a finished product and be packed to go to suppliers. I really feel like I’m having an impact.”

Exploring an industry

With an apprenticeship, “you learn a lot more in an industry rather than being in a classroom all the time; you get to see first-hand the skills you’re learning in college and you can apply it yourself. It gives you a range of other practical skills; problem solving and communication with peers and staff.”

Scott would say to anyone thinking of an apprenticeship to “really give it a good look”. It’s a great way to explore an industry, expand your skills and see where you want to take yourself in life.

HRC will continue to support Scott on his journey to ensure that he manages to reach his future destination.

Click here to find out more about our Engineering courses.

Blake began his year-long Level 1 course, Introduction to Health, Social Care and Children and Young People’s Setting in September 2016 with hopes to progress to Level 2 the following year.

Making progress

Before beginning his current course Blake passed “all of my English Level 1 exams including speaking and listening, reading and writing and I’m also currently waiting for my Level 1 maths results.” He has studied at Hertford Regional College since 2015 when he studied on a “mixed course of maths, English, Art, Drama and unit work”.

Choosing the right course

Blake chose his current course because “I want to work with children; this is what I always wanted to do! I’ve not really had any barriers on my course. The main benefits are learning about children and what care they need. If you would like to work with children in the future, then I really would recommend my course.’

In the future, Blake would like to work in a school as a teaching assistant.

HRC will continue to support Blake on his journey to ensure that he manages to reach his future destination.

Ashley completed an Electrical apprenticeship at HRC several years ago and has since expanded his skill set to work in several industries.

Being inspired

During his time at the college, he was inspired by several members of staff who pushed him to always think outside of the box. For Ashley, his time spent at the college was an enjoyable one and he felt that he was listened to better than at school. He also learned from his tutors that if you put the work in you will get the results you want and that there are never problems; just solutions.

Moving on

Since leaving the college, Ashley has progressed into a career within the Electrical industry. He now works as an Electrical Supervisor with his own team of apprentices which gives him the opportunity to pass on the knowledge he gained at HRC to those starting out in the industry.

Expanding skills

However, this isn't the only industry in which Ashley has achieved great success. In his spare time, Ashley modifies and customises cars to high specifications. Most recently he completed a six-year customisation on a Fiesta alongside a friend, with every single element of the car having been customised with outside-the-box ideas. He has since been featured in Fast Car Magazine and Totally Modified Magazine.

Ashley is currently studying a Level 3 IT Games Development course. He joined HRC after completing a Health & Social Care qualification at another college.

A change of plan

Ashley initially studied at a local sixth form but found it wasn’t suited to his goals so left to undertake a Level 3 Health & Social Care qualification at another college. After completing this he considered undertaking an apprenticeship in the same industry and approached HRC for advice. Although he wasn’t able to find an apprenticeship that fit his plans, he was intrigued by the Games Development courses on offer at both the Broxbourne and Ware campuses.

Learning the business

Gaming is a big passion in Ashley’s life and, after speaking to the tutors, he enrolled to study the Level 3 IT Games Development course. Ashley is really pleased that the course is broad in the subjects it covers, saying “we learn about the large business side of games as well as how to develop games. At the moment we’re working on creating a short game but before that we spent a lot of time looking at how games development businesses are run”. During the first year of his course, Ashley has also helped create and run a gaming club which meets twice a week. The club brings together students who are studying a Games Development course with other students in the college who have a passion for gaming in their free time.

Finding a passion

Ashley’s course gives him the opportunity to explore one of his biggest passions, but he isn’t ruling out returning to an old passion of working with children and students. After completing his course, he is considering applying for university to pursue a career in teaching and is confident the extra qualifications his course gives him will help him stand out from the crowd.

Ashley would highly recommend his Games Development course and HRC to other students. “Before HRC I felt a lot of stress about choosing a career, but when I joined I found my comfort zone with other students who are on my wavelength and amazing tutors”.

Ashley recently won the 'Overall Student of the Year Award' at the HRC FE Awards 2017.

HRC will continue to support Ashley on his journey to ensure that he manages to reach his future destination.

Melis studied Level 3 Extended Diploma in Applied Science here at HRC after having achieved excellent grades at school.

Why HRC?

Melis found the HRC campus “incredible and a very friendly atmosphere” and is now “doing what I always wanted to do, despite being told I couldn’t at Sixth Form.” Melis’ course covered “every aspect of chemistry, physics and human biology.” Whilst studying at HRC Melis undertook work experience at the Natural History Museum in London for two years. The main benefits of the course are that it’s “not stressful, there are good resources (labs) and friendly tutors.” During her time at college, Melis liked working independently and found that this helped her to settle in to University.

The Future

Melis would recommend her course and HRC “100%!” Her future goals are to finish her “BSC Biology Degree at the University of Nottingham where I’m currently on track for a 2.1. I then want to start applying for masters courses next year to study Efficient Fossil Fuel techniques.”

HRC will continue to support Melis on her journey to ensure that she manages to reach her future destination.

Click here to find out more about our Science courses.

Katherine joined Hertford Regional College in September 2014 to study the Foundation Degree Creative Enterprise in Fine Art Practice. Before beginning her Higher Education course at HRC, Katherine studied her “A-levels in school, and then went onto university and did my first degree in Art History.

I didn’t end up with a job in the field because I couldn’t stand the idea of sitting at a desk all day.”

Why a Foundation Degree at HRC?

Of the benefits of studying a Higher Education qualification with HRC, Katherine says “The college offered good facilities, a significant amount of skills, teaching was near to where I was going to be living and it was priced reasonably. It also had a work-based element to the course, which I felt would be really valuable when I completed.”

Katherine has always wanted to work in the creative sector but never really knew what this looked like as a career. “It was only after a lot of years working in another sector that I decided I wanted to go back and pursue Art as a career.”

Extending her skills

Katherine says that the “course helped me to extend my skills in drawing and painting; I learnt a lot about the different types of printmaking and had a chance to experiment with sculpture. I was able to speak to tutors about my ideas as well as to my peer group. What I really learnt was how to be inventive with the resources that I had available to me in order to create a piece of work. I gained some ideas about what work in the Arts sector looked like, what kinds of jobs were available and what experience I needed to gain during my course to apply for them.

Worries and concerns

Before graduating, Katherine was concerned that she was “going to end up back in a full time job that I didn’t enjoy and that I wouldn’t have the skills and determination to make a career as an artist in the art sector. My tutors were able to reflect back to me all the work I had done and give me confidence in my skills. I had the chance through our end of year show to go on and apply for an artist residency at Courtyard Arts Centre. The tutors at HRC have carried on supporting me since I graduated, coming to my exhibitions and giving me career advice when I need it.”

Working on interesting projects

Katherine says the main benefits of her course was that “You’ll learn how to rely on your own skills and how to ask for support in a productive way. You’ll have the chance to work on interesting work-based projects that will help you understand and seize future work opportunities once you leave. You can follow your own creative dreams with the only limitations being your ability to problem solve with your tutors and peers. Finally, you will develop your practical creative skills in a lot of areas, from graphic design, software, sculptures, prints and even some visual merchandising. The technicians who work at the college are fantastic, they will help you make your art projects work and you’ll learn so much from watching how they work the machines and make exhibitions come together.”

The future

Katherine says she would recommend HRC and “this course to anyone thinking of following a career in art. It gives you so much more than just the art skills.” Her goals in the future are “to be a working artist. I hope to be working with communities and showing my art in unconventional ways and spaces as well as in galleries. I’ll be supporting myself through art sales, funding bits to develop my practice and mixture of freelance work in teaching and arts project co-ordination roles.”

Click here to find out more about our Higher Education options or click here for our Art and Design courses.

Liam is currently studying towards his English & Maths qualifications. Before coming to HRC Liam was home schooled and so had to transition to college which Liam finds “more mature”.

Liam chose HRC as he “used to live nearby and it was familiar to me, I also didn’t pass my English & maths” and HRC has given him the opportunity to work on these subjects and achieve what I want. After completing his English & maths qualifications Liam hopes to pursue further studying and/or careers in “history or football” as he enjoys both of these.

Liam’s current course includes a lot of coursework with a constant English & maths focus. Before joining HRC, Liam was “worried about making friends however now I haves been here for a few months I have made some good ones.”

The main benefits of Liam’s course is “is that I will gain my Level 1 English & maths qualifications and can then progress onto another course next year.”

Currently within Liam’s maths & English course there is also an opportunity for him to participate in sports activities, which gives him a taster of what a sports course at HRC is like. Liam would recommend his course as it’s good if “you need to get back on track and it gives you a taster of other courses too”.

HRC will continue to support Liam on his journey to ensure that he manages to reach his future destination.

Click here to find out more about our English and maths courses.

Sharon is Curriculum Area Manager for Childcare, Care and Education at Hertford Regional College. Before this, she studied BTEC National Diploma in Nursery Nursing here at Hertford Regional College, which is equal to the OCR Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care that the college offers now. From this course, Sharon achieved “the equivalent to 3 A-Levels in the BTEC qualification.”

Sharon came to HRC straight after leaving school and completing a year of sixth form. After finishing her studies at HRC, Sharon went on to “complete a Foundation Degree in Care Community and Welfare via the Open University and complete my teacher training degree with Greenwich University via HRC”.

Sharon chose this course and college, as there are “no exams, and you are able to be in the real world working, with real people and some amazing families”.

“Although I originally wanted to be a social worker, there are large elements of my current role that are very similar to that of a social worker”. Sharon’s course covers “all age ranges and stages of development from birth to the grave; it covered psychology and practical play opportunities for all the different ages with a large emphasis on real work experience”.

Sharon always “felt supported and staff were always very understanding”. She would 100% recommend her course and HRC in general “as there are lots of great things that have continued and are still evident in terms of what makes these courses so special, that being the relationships we have with the local community and the working environment. This means our students get insightful exposure to the working world they intend to work in; they get to try before they buy.”

“As a former student of this department, I am passionate about the work that we do and about the experiences we give our learners. Along with the opportunities afforded to students in terms of the variety of work placement settings we have at our disposal. As a department, it is our responsibility to make sure that we are developing the skills and qualities in our students to ensure that they can provide the care workforce of the future with high aspirations around the standard of care that our love ones deserve. Resulting in the next generation being cared for by people who appreciate the important role, they play in making someone else’s life worth living and feeling valued as a member of society.

Sharon’s future goals are to “drive my team forward to be recognised as a grade 1 department, that provides vocational experience to their learner that is first class and above and beyond any of our competitors”.

HRC will continue to support Sharon on her journey to ensure that she manages to reach her future destination.

Click here to find out more about our Childcare, Health & Social Care courses.

Before Jonathan started his Masters Degree, “I was studying a joint honours undergraduate degree in Health, Exercise and Physical and Sport Education.

At HRC, I studied Level 3 BTEC in Sport. I finished my period at HRC with Distinction*, Distinction, Distinction. I have also achieved a merit in my Master’s Degree.”

Jonathan has “always been interested in sport so studying a degree in sport was a must but the combination of business and leadership was also very attractive. From the age of 16 I had always wanted to study at Loughborough University. I was unable to study there at undergraduate level so the opportunity to study a Masters at Loughborough was an opportunity I couldn’t pass. My course covered a range of topics such as stadium sustainability, leadership perceptions, leadership philosophy, business within sport and more…”

Jonathans “dream had always been to go to university and study an undergraduate degree. Having been enrolled onto the subsidiary version of the BTEC Level 3 in Sport, 2 months into my second year at HRC I was moved to the extended diploma version of the course but needed to complete 4 extra units which the students in the class completed in their first year. My tutor, Ian Mathieson and the Sports staff had so much faith in my ability and the least I could do was repay them with a good grade. 4 years on from leaving HRC, I am grateful to Ian and the Sports staff for their continued support, motivation and belief in me. Through my course, I have met various senior figures from organisations such as RFU, Wimbledon and Arsenal FC etc.”

Jonathan would “definitely recommend my course and I would definitely recommend HRC. HRC and its staff enabled me to do things that seemed unlikely and even impossible. It’s a great college and a great place to develop yourself and succeed.”

“My future goals are to be able to inspire other young people who may not believe they have the ability to succeed in academia.”

HRC will continue to support Jonathan on his journey to ensure that he manages to reach his future destination.

After a recent catch up with Jonathan in September 2018, we found out his dream came true!

"As of February this year, I have been working for Chelsea F.c. as a school's hubs officer, coordinating all of Chelsea’s projects in Westminster. I just want to thank you and the sports department again for your help all those years ago, getting me to university and helping me along this journey."

We would like to congratulate Jonathan on this incredible achievement and wish him all the best in the future.

If you feel inspired by Jonathan's story and would like to find out more. Click here to find out more about our Higher Education options or click here for our Sports courses.

Antonia joined Hertford Regional College straight after finishing school in Year 11 and began studying Level 3 Business. She chose HRC because “the course looked broad enough to help me get a taste of all the different areas in business and to help me decide what I want to do in the future."

"HRC seemed like the right place for me because the tutors were always there to give you any support you needed and always encouraged you to push yourself further. I got lots of support from my tutors when I wasn’t sure what to do when I finished the course.” Antonia left HRC achieving D*DD.

Currently Antonia is “studying at a business school which was something I never saw in my future and actually deviated very far from what I always wanted to do which was fashion. When I first applied to HRC I secured a place on a fashion course and also a business course and having chatted to the staff at HRC I was able to make my decision well advised. I chose the business course and I was so interested by the business world that I am now studying at a private business school with a part scholarship.”

Antonia’s course covered “all the different areas of the business world ranging from HR & accounting to marketing and management”. She chose this college because “being a teenager and being quite indecisive and unsure of what I wanted to do at the end of the course, I struggled with making my decision to go to university quite late. My tutors were brilliant in supporting me with this late decision. I got lots of advice on my personal statement and the application process through UCAS and talking to my tutors about their experiences really helped to guide me in the right direction”.

The main benefits of Antonia’s course “are that it covered a lot of different areas giving you a flavour of all the directions you can go from this course. Another key benefit is that it teaches you lots of skills that you need in university. For example, having to do coursework, reference, give presentations, sit exams and even having a timetable in a similar way to that of a university really sets you up well and makes the adjustment easier. You also are given more freedom compared to a sixth form/school which is much similar to the real world whether your next step is university or the workplace”.

Antonia would “100%” recommend HRC. Her future goals are “to have a successful career in project management or operations management and to become a consultant at a successful company like Deloitte, McKinsey or BCG. I am also currently studying global industries and would love to take my career across borders.”

HRC will continue to support Antonia on her journey to ensure she manages to reach her future destination.

Click here to find out more about our Business courses

Brendon is currently studying a level 2 course in Catering here at Hertford Regional College having successfully completed a level 1 last year.

“I have previously completed many courses here at HRC including; Level 1 and 2 in Carpentry, Level 1 in Painting and Decorating and Construction Foundation Skills.” Brendon has since found a passion in catering and has successfully secured a job within the first year of his course.

Inspiring

Brendon managed to secure a place on a taster course whilst he was still at school, prior to starting college. “I wanted to get as much experience as I can and I love making cakes!” Brendon believed that HRC was the perfect choice for him and he also said “all the staff are really friendly and everyone is treated fairly.” This is all where it all started for Brendon, he is now in his second year and has amazingly earned his place as a finalist in a competition to become ‘Young South African Chef of the Year 2018’. “For the competition I had to make my own menu, I was given a list of foods to use and at least one item had to be in each dish. I tried to pick some unusual dishes which is what I think made me stand out.” At HRC this is just one of the amazing opportunities that our students face, well done Brendon!

Challenges

Brendon’s Level 2 course covers all aspects of baking and catering. Brendon believes the main benefits to the course are “getting a lot of practical experience, although the theory side gives me the industry knowledge that I need”, however, Brendon said “I knew the basics at the beginning but there was a lot more to the course than I initially thought. I would say my biggest barrier was trying to learn all of the recipes off by heart.”

Future Prospects

Brendon is hoping that his completion of Level 2 here at Hertford Regional College, will lead to his future career goal “I would like to either own my own restaurant one day or become head chef!”

Click here to find out more about our catering and hospitality courses,.

Bethany is a Finance Administrator Apprentice at Solarplicity Ltd, one of the UK’s leading renewable energy providers based in Ware, Hertfordshire.

Bethany began her apprenticeship journey in 2016 and has now completed her level 2 qualification as a Finance Administrator. This year she is currently completing her level 3 apprenticeship qualification and recently won the Business Administration Apprentice of the year 2018 at HRC.

Starting out

Bethany initially found out about her apprenticeship through school. However, she also found our online vacancies system on the HRC website to be a very useful process in finding what she was looking for. Through the support of our apprenticeship team, she secured two interviews at Solarplicity and successfully secured the position as the new Finance Administration apprentice.

At first, “I didn’t know how to use any remote desktops as I had never used them before.” However, through the right support and training from the company, she was quickly put at ease and was soon carrying out her day-to-day duties of “opening and distributing the daily post, filing for the accounts department, creating the monthly invoices and other jobs that I am asked to do.”

Why an Apprenticeship?

Bethany believes “apprenticeships are great as you learn the skills you wouldn’t in college. It helped me grow as a person, and learn the life skills that you wouldn’t get by just going to college. I chose to do an apprenticeship because I liked the idea of having a job where you are learning real life skills whilst still earning a wage.”

Bethany’s employer Tina Turnbull adds that “apprenticeships are a valuable way for young people to gain workplace experience whilst continuing to learn. Used correctly an apprenticeship can lead to a career or further education aspirations, including university”.

Future goals

Alongside Bethany’s apprenticeship she is completing an online Interior Design course and hopes to become an interior designer, or to renovate buildings in the future.

Click here to find out more about our current apprenticeship vacancies, or to contact our apprenticeship team please call 01992 411572 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Kirsty is currently studying the Level 5 Foundation Degree Visual Merchandising and is also employed full time at a jewellers. Prior to this she studied BTEC Fashion and Clothing.

The reason Kirsty chose this course was because she “had experience with displays in jewellers and wanted to get proper qualifications to work in different retail areas”. She “previously wanted to go into fashion but enjoyed working in the jewellers more!”

Kirsty’s course covers “Computer-Aided Design (CAD), displays and display theory”. The benefit of Kirsty’s course is that it’s “mostly practical and I find it easier to learn this way”. She would recommend her course and HRC to others.

In the future, Kirsty hopes “to progress onto a top up year to get my BA Honours”.

HRC will continue to support Kirsty on her journey to ensure that she manages to reach her future destination.

Click here to find out more about our Art & Design courses, or here to find out more about Higher Education.

Sharon is currently studying a HND in Stadium and Event Management on a Part-Time course here at Hertford Regional College. She is hoping to have completed her course by June 2020 and go on to top up her qualification to a full degree.

Background

Prior to the HE course, Sharon had been “working in events for the last 10 years.”

“I was enrolling my nephew on his course and saw the details of the Event Management course.” After finishing school in the late 80’s this was a great new and exciting challenge for Sharon to help her thrive and push forward her career. She claims “it was a case of me being able to back up my experience with a qualification.”

Course Experience

“Academics writing was new to me and is something I am still trying to master.” This is a challenge that Sharon faced when first starting out on her new course, however the course covers a variety of aspects to help her overcome these challenges.

She believes HRC is a great place to study and would recommend the college to anyone considering this course. Some examples of what the course covers include: Marketing, Customer Service, Finance, Events Safety and Crowd Management.

Benefits and Future Goals

As it’s a Part-Time course, it allows Sharon the flexibility she needs around her career, giving her time to work and “do the rest in my own time whenever it suits me.” Her future goals are “to manage a large 10,000+ Capacity Venue.”

Click here to find out more about our Catering, Hospiitality & Event Management courses. 

Molly has previously studied Level 3 Events Management at HRC and has followed on to our Tottenham Hotspur Foundation course which she hopes to complete in June 2018.

Why HRC?

When Molly attended an open day she was “impressed with the facilities and I got on well with the staff and teachers.” She found that there was “more opportunities at college than at sixth form and said “I chose the course because I had an interest in this sector and liked the fact it was a vocational course.”

Molly has found that the main benefits to her course are the “hands on and a more practical way of learning. I have freedom to put on events and also be assessed in ways such as this.” She recommends HRC as a great place to study.

What’s right for you?

Molly said that “previously I thought I would do a levels at sixth form, up until open day at the college where I got to speak to different course tutors and understand more about the course.” She believes that she hasn’t found many challenges throughout her HRC journey as the “tutors have been very supportive when I have asked for help.”

My course

The course covered a variety of different areas within Events management “Hospitality, Marketing, Finance, Event Management, Food and Beverage, Alcohol. We also put on our own events and visited different educational trips.”

Molly has achieved a range of qualifications from her course including, BTEC Level 3 Events Management, NVQ Level 2 award in Professional Food and Beverage, First Aid, Level 2 in Food and Safety.

Future goals

“I have since moved on to HND Tottenham Hotspur Foundation course, after this I will hopefully get employment within Tottenham Hotspur after finishing the course. If not somewhere within the events industry thanks to my qualifications I have achieved.”

Click here to find our more about our Events Managment courses, or here to find out more about Tottenham Hotspur.

Zoe recently completed her Level 2 Apprenticeship in Business Administration working in Insurance for IMS London Ltd based in Broxbourne.

Starting out

Previously Zoe was working as a barista in Broxbourne but decided she wanted a new career route. After studying Level 2 and 3 in Beauty Therapy at HRC she got in contact with our apprenticeship team who more than happy to support her with this and helped her to find the right role to suit her. She was pleased to find out after her second interview that she got the position.

Apprenticeship route

Zoe now believes she is doing something she always wanted to do. The main duties in her day to day role include “admin work, speaking to my clients and creating quotations and policies” which is something she enjoys doing as she “always wanted to work in an office.”

Zoe trusts that this was the ideal path to start her career and with an apprenticeship, she is “learning and making money” at the same time. Apprenticeships “help you ease into a work life and you learn a lot going into college every week.”

Future Prospects

As Zoe enjoyed her experience as an apprentice, she has decided to pursue a career as an Insurance Broker and is currently working towards achieving her future aspirations.

Take a look at some of our current apprenticeships vacancies here or contact our apprenticeship team at 01992 411572 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to find out more.

Rebecca has recently finished her final year of the Visual Merchandising Foundation Degree after she previously studied a BTEC National Diploma in Visual Merchandising for 2 years.

Why HRC?

Rebecca has always been “interested in fashion” and wanted to find a way to earn her place in the industry. For her, HRC seemed like a great place to start. “It’s close to home and I wanted more on my CV, which is why I stayed so I could gain more qualifications.” Within the course, “we covered CAD design and designing concepts for retail.” Rebecca particularly found that the main benefits to her course were “work placements, live briefs and learning basic techniques of visual merchandising.”

Challenges and goals

Visual merchandising is a very competitive industry and standing out from the crowd is vital, especially when working with high-end clients. Rebecca believes the hardest part of the course is “getting displays to a high standard as you have to think above and beyond, especially if you want your work to be displayed somewhere like Harrods.” Her future goal is to work in a high-end store in London, so is currently gaining all the experience she can to strive towards her chosen career path.

The competition

Rebecca competed in the graduate challenge Harrods Competition 2018 for Luxury Branding and came in the top 3! Following a strict design brief, Rebecca curated a killer piece which didn’t fail to get her noticed. “Corneliani was my brand, I made hexagons in the back wall which were made of wool. I had burnt thread from the mannequin to the floor, it was a great experience!” We pride ourselves and our staff at HRC for their industry knowledge and contacts they have, which help our students progress and gain employability skills. The show was a really great way to show the students how to work and design a brief to a client’s needs. Rebecca said “I have been to the show before but never taken part, it was nice to see everyone set up. It’s a great way to gain contacts from people at the event to help you get into the industry.”

“I am now doing what I always wanted to do!”

If you feel inspired by Rebecca's story and would like to apply or find out more about our Foundation Degree in Visual Merchandising, please click here to re-direct you to the right page.

Laurel has completed her Business and Administration L3 Apprenticeship as a Programme Assistant at Visionpath in Hoddesdon.

Visionpath is a talent and recruitment specialist based in Hoddesdon but working across the UK. Their mission is to help employers and young people become future-ready. Their programmes give students aged 16-19 new skills and opportunities for their future career, while helping employers to develop their leaders and connect with their future talent.

Getting in contact

After she finished her A Levels at school, Laurel went on to find a part-time job at Costa Coffee. Previously, Laurel had found out about Apprenticeships whilst she was still at school and the idea of one had appealed to her as “you can learn key skills whilst putting them into practice.” Laurel finds that she “performs better through hands-on learning” so an Apprenticeship was an ideal pathway for her. After doing some research, she “found the Apprenticeship advertised on an online service and the process was really easy, once I sent my application through I was emailed back so quickly.”

Laurel had “always wanted to get into Events Management and this job has so many aspects of that within it.”

Barriers

Initially, Laurel was nervous about applying for an Apprenticeship as she “lacked skills on the computer with software such as Excel and Publisher.” However, Apprenticeships offer a great amount of support to help learners develop their skills and gain confidence in doing so. Laurel also found at the start of her Apprenticeship that she “struggled with time management as I had a lot of tasks to complete, I prioritised some tasks and forgot about the others.” Laurel overcame this barrier with the help of “my employer and my work colleague who helped me and taught me techniques to be able to use the programmes easily, my manager also gave me a time management plan so that I could put my tasks into timeframes to ensure they all got completed.”

The role

The job has a “very varied role” so Laurel is constantly learning new skills. Her “main responsibilities differ depending on what main events are on at the time.” In job roles such as events management, the workflow can vary throughout the year. Laurel has various responsibilities including “helping with admin tasks, creating documents or editing them, helping to organise the programmes by coordinating attendees, contacting the host and liaising with everyone to make sure the day goes smoothly.”

Future prospects

“From January 2019 I will be starting my new role at Visionpath as Programmes & Partnerships Assistant, where I will be developing our network of school partnerships and continuing to help organise our programmes.”

Laurel has really enjoyed her time as an Apprentice, she said, “I would definitely recommend an Apprenticeship, it is a great platform for experience when you’re a school leaver as you will learn basic work skills and even skills that you thought you already had."

Employer Comments

“Apprentices are a vital part of our workforce at Visionpath. Our work involves upskilling young people for the workplace and helping employers to engage and recruit school-leavers into their organisations. Therefore, our own apprentices play a key role in being relatable to the young people we work with, demonstrating the value of apprentices to employers. For us, they bring energy, fresh ideas and new perspectives and it’s hugely rewarding to see them grow and develop with you.”

Patrick Philpott – Managing Director, Visionpath

To read more about Laurel's year as an apprentice, take a look at her Visionpath blog by clicking here.

If you are interested in becoming an apprentice or would like to find out more about what is available to you. Check out our apprenticeship vacancies here 😊

Ryan is coming to the end of his 2-year Graphic Design Foundation Degree at Hertford Regional College (in partnership of University of Hertfordshire) after previously completing 2 years of media production degree at Northumbria University in Newcastle.

Starting out

Prior to Ryan studying for 2 years at Northumbria, he studied at Hertford Regional College as an acting student at Level 3. After realising Media wasn’t what he wanted to do, he decided to return to us here at HRC as he “had always been interested in Graphic Design and liked studying at this college from a previous course.”

Benefits of the course

Our University Level Graphic Design course covers a wide range of digital and creative aspects, such as “editorial design, illustration, and digital skills” to help our students prepare for this competitive job sector. Ryan initially said, “Learning creative digital software has been a challenge but through workshops at HRC and advice from tutors, I feel confident creating work digitally now.” Ryan said he was also able to feel more confident in creating new graphic material as he had “a lot of contact time with tutors” which meant he could gain feedback on the work he was producing and enable him to assess areas of development.

Final Comments

“I have always wanted to have a career in the creative art and design industry and am happy with the graphic design/illustration career direction for myself.” Ryan said he would definitely recommend HRC as a great place to study and his future goal is “to be happy in the career choices I make.”

If you would like to see the Higher Education courses we offer at HRC, click here to find out more! 

Sam has recently completed his 2-year course as a graphic design foundation degree student in June 2018 (levels 4 &5).

Beginnings

Prior to the course, Sam was in full-time work at Hertfordshire County Council, however, he decided he wanted to get back into education and gain a qualification. Choosing this course “seemed suitable for someone who had been out of education and felt I would receive more support than I would attending the Bachelors.” Sam also said he was attracted to this course in particular as “it was cheaper than university and it required less UCAS points for entry.”

Challenges

“Initially, I was worried I wouldn’t have the technical skills to keep up as I hadn’t used the software in a while.” However, Sam gained a lot of support and felt confident in the knowledge he would gain from being taught by industry specialists. “Having a tutor that is working in the industry was a great help and the feedback about my work was honest but constructive so I knew how I could improve”

Sam also said he “used to be very nervous about speaking in front of a group of people but I feel a lot more at ease when doing this now.” Sam has overcome his fears after reaching the end of his journey as a foundation degree student, and now feels “a lot more confident in myself and my abilities as a designer.”

The Course

“The course covers basics in graphic design such as the relevant software’s and the process of design, from research to final outcome." During the 2-year foundation degree, the course “teaches you about what is required to enter into the industry, especially with regards to skills and qualities.”

Live briefs are a key part to all of our foundation degrees courses. This helps all of our learners gain better employability skills which are especially fundamental in this industry. Sam believes the live briefs have been “helpful, as you learn how processes work in a real working environment with real clients.”

After talking with Sam about the experiences he has gained during the course, he said “I really enjoy graphic design and currently have an internship with Cariad Marketing and have a placement arranged with GAS Brand Studio, which I am hoping will turn into employment. I have also been put in touch with various other places where there has been opportunities and prospects, all of which were sourced by the college.”

“The course provides you with a stepping stone to network with people who work in the places you want to work in and ultimately gives you useful links to the industry.”

Future Prospects

“Short term I am looking to continue my studies at the University of Hertfordshire to obtain my bachelor’s degree. I will continue to work at my internship Cariad Marketing and I have some other options lined up later in the year. After this, I would really love to be working in branding and ultimately start my own design company.”

If you feel inspired by Sam's story and would like to find out more about our Foundation Degree courses, please click here to find out more. 🙋

Jwan is coming to end of his level 1 qualification with the Princes Trust Team Programme after moving here from Syria last year.

Tough Beginnings

Jwan “Came to England a year ago as a refugee from Syria. I did not speak any English and found it difficult to express that I wanted to work.” Jwan came to England with “no qualifications” and struggled to know where to go or what to do.

Support

After getting in touch with a support worker (Nina, from Refugee Council) Jwan was offered the position with the Princes Trust Team Programme as he desperately wanted to improve his English. The team now help him every day to help improve on his English and he has also gained experience in “food hygiene, first aid, level one in employment, teamwork, employability and communication skills” which has given Jwan the experience he needs for great future prospects.

Experience and Goals

“I have recently finished my work experience and have taken a position with the hair salon and they will be putting me through college to complete a qualification.” Jwan hopes to “graduate from HRC with a full diploma in Hairdressing.” We asked Jwan his thoughts on the course and whether he would recommend HRC in general. He said “this course has helped me so much, I was able to get a job, look forward to starting college and speak with confidence. It has helped me greatly with confidence, speech, and motivation to learn English.”

To find out more about HRC's partnerships and accreditations, click here to get more info.

Cherry recently completed her course with the Princes Trust Team Programme and is now a volunteer within the team.

Challenges

Cherry has faced many barriers over the years after losing her position as a childcare practitioner. She was also “diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 21 and struggled to find career based work.” This was a difficult time for Cherry as she was in and out of work in “bars, cleaning roles and warehouses on zero hour contracts, which wasn’t enough to support housing” alongside this, she said she “struggled with mental health and confidence.”

Overcoming the barriers

“I overcame barriers around my confidence in meetings and working with new people. I also had opportunities to work within the community and attend a work placement.” Cherry had previously trained to become a personal trainer but found the Princes Trust Team Programme enjoyable and wanted to “give back the support I was provided during the course to young individuals.” After building her confidence and facing her fears, she gained: employability, team work and communication skills, and said “it guided me into this as a future career choice and I have now volunteered to support the team leaders with the next team.”

Would you recommend HRC?

After hearing about Cherry’s experiences, we wanted to know more about her HRC experience. She said “I would highly recommend HRC and the course, I have helped to recruit 7 new participants that have signed up to join the next team” which is excellent news for us to hear.

She is now hoping to continue down this career path and aspires her future job role to be a leader’s assistant/team leader.

Final Comments

“At 25, I didn’t think I would get an opportunity like this; the course has massively supported me back into employment and my future goals. I’ve gained back so much confidence that I lost and I now find it easy to speak with new people. This programme has given me a chance to start a new career and enjoy working, which has long term results. Without this course I would still be attending the job centre or possibly be working in a part time zero hour contract roles that would not support my housing needs.”

We wish Cherry all the best in her future.

If you would like to find out more info on our partnerships and accreditations with the college, click here to find out more.

Iwo is in his second year of Level 3 Games Development and is planning to progress onto Level 4.

Background

Iwo chose to study Games Development because he “loves to play games in his spare time” and was fascinated by the process of designing his own game. He is happy he chose HRC as a place of study as he says “I have learnt so much, there’s so much more to games development than you could imagine, from designing the concept to computer features.”

It is clear that Iwo has taken a lot out of the course as he says “I would recommend the course to anyone interested in gaming.”

Getting the most out of the course

Iwo has also developed his own concept of a game which he wants to bring to life in years to come. The name of his game is “Delvin’s travels” and is based on a character who is trapped in a panic room, in a trivial pursuit to help the character escape you must pass a wave of different levels.

The U3a programme was also something Iwo had been involved in, he helped members of the public aged 50+ learn how to use technology, this was a great chance to work with the local community and also showcase his knowledge.

Click here to find out more about our games devlopment courses or call our information team at 01992 411411 

Brooke is currently studying a Foundation Degree in Visual Merchandising at HRC. Her most recent success is winning GOLD at the graduate challenge Harrods Competition 2018 for luxury branding.

Your Course…

Initially, Brooke “wanted to go into photography.” However, she became interested in our HE VM course offered at Hertford Regional after attending one of our open days. After finding out more about the course, she decided she wanted to broaden her skills and qualifications to become more “diverse.”

“The course allows you to develop skills you didn’t have before.” Visual Merchandising is a broad concept which covers “CAD design, designing concepts for retail, work placements, live briefs and lot’s more.” Brooke found that the live briefs were especially beneficial as you “actually get a feel of what it is like to work in the industry.”

The Competition

Students from London College Fashion, Hertford College and Hugh Baird College went head-to-head in the graduate challenge, following a strict design brief set by the luxury department store, Harrods. Brooke designed, curated and project managed an incredible piece with the brief of “men’s wear tailoring”. She was selected to take part in the show by the British Display Society who judged over 15 displays. “I created 70 tin can bugs for a Gucci display” an amazing experience for Brooke to be a part of and we are proud to say she won the competition. Brooke was awarded with a one month’s placement at Harrods in August 2018 which she is “really excited about” and potentially a full time job.

“Hard work pays off!”

Click here to find out more about our Visual Merchandising Foundation Degree or more info to find out more about our Higher Education courses,

Joseph joined HRC straight after the completion of his GCSE’s and is currently studying L3 Games Design on the final year of his 2 year course.

What’s right for you…?

After catching up with Joseph, we found out how eager he is to learn about all aspects of Games Design. “I love playing games, I’m very passionate about it and would like to know more about how games are made.” This is something he would like to pursue as a future career which makes it the perfect course for him.

Branching out

Our Games Design courses cover more than just games themselves. “I’ve been introduced to lots of new things. There is a wide understanding of computing in general on this course, not just games design. I like this about the course because I can use this knowledge to go anywhere I want.” He particularly “enjoys the technical side of my course the most. Learning coding and finding out how things are put together” he believes this will help him gain more of a diverse range of skills for his future career prospects.

Why HRC?

Joseph found out about the course through one of our industry specialist tutors, who is very experienced in this field. His time at HRC has been smooth sailing as he said “the tutors are very supportive.” Here at HRC we pride ourselves in the progression success of our students, this is thanks to our talented tutors and hardworking students such as Joseph.

Click here to find out more about our computing, networking and games design courses.

call us at 01992 411411 or email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Sasha recently graduated from his 2-year Foundation Degree course (Levels 4 & 5) in Three Dimensional Design and is about to begin his career in Bishop Stortford as a Design Engineer.

Why HRC?

Before Sasha started here at Hertford Regional College, he completed a BTEC national diploma in engineering at a college elsewhere. Sasha said he was attracted to HRC “because of the facilities, diversity of the course and the curriculum we offer.” The course covers so many aspects of 3D design such as “interior and jewellery design,” although the course itself is “a great opportunity to explore your creativity and cross pathways with other creative enterprise courses… including graphic design!”

What part of your course did you enjoy the most?

Sasha said, “My favourite part of the course definitely had to be designing and building my final major project.” As part of the curriculum outcome, all of our foundation degree students are required to take on their own final major project, using their new skills and creative knowledge gained over the 2-year course. Sasha chose to design “a car showroom based on a car's brand, I decided to pick Lamborghini” which was a lot of fun to be a part of, “the course just covers so much and it’s a great experience!”

Did you face any barriers on the course?

Whilst the course was very enjoyable, Sasha said he initially “struggled a lot with time restraints, I couldn’t work to the dates set and organise my time.” This is something Sasha felt improved throughout the duration of the course and now feels confident that he can “balance my time, I’m a lot better since starting this course.”

Future prospects

“My future goal is to progress as a CAD (Computer Aided Design) designer because that has been my main focus throughout the course and it’s what I enjoy.” Sasha gained valuable experience whilst on the course and has now got a job lined up as a Design Engineer for a local company in Bishop Stortford.

We wish Sasha all the best in his career!

If you feel inspired by Sasha's story or would like to know more about the foundation courses we offer, click here!

Louise is a part-time student at HRC studying Floristry once a week during the evenings.

Learning new skills

The Floristry classes we run here at HRC have been a great success for those who have a creative flair. Louise wanted to take up a new hobby that was fun and interesting, it’s a great way to meet new people and use your creative skills in everyday life. “I’ve learned lots of new skills and information about floristry and flowers.” The class isn’t just about how to arrange flowers, you learn “how to wire flowers and arrange them in different displays, I now know how to hand-tie funeral flowers and create modern displays.”

Teaching

Our staff at HRC are all industry specialists who are passionate about what they do. Louise said “our tutor Jo is brilliant! She has so much knowledge and experience about floristry. I learn so much every week and always develop a new skill.” HRC is a great base to learn, especially for our art and design students as there is so much space to work with a lot of natural light.

What will you take from this course?

If you are looking to gain a more in-depth understanding of the floral industry and learn the underlying techniques of design, then this course is definitely for you. “It’s my new hobby that I love, I have been making arrangements for friends and families for their birthdays since starting the course.” It really is for anyone of any age.

How would you describe the course in one word?

“Fabulous!”

If the idea of a floristry class or part-time course appeals to you, please visit our page to see what we have to offer. Click here to find out more! 😍

Georgia is currently studying Music Production and Performance at level 3 at HRC and has recently completed her English qualification alongside her course.

How does studying at college differ to studying at school?

Students often find a college environment very different from learning at school. Studying at college offers a more focused, relaxed and adult learning opportunity with more 1:1 tuition time with tutors. Students often find it easier to gain a qualification within the college that they may not have been able to achieve previously. Georgia said, “I found studying at school was more difficult for English because I used to get distracted, but at college, I had a new frame of mind with the new surroundings.”

Have there been any challenges you have faced?

Georgia believes that time restraints are one of the most difficult aspects to the English course, especially when it comes to staying on task. She said, “Getting enough marks in English to get a pass was difficult because I would go off topic and spend too much time talking about something irrelevant that didn't contribute to my grade.” This is something our tutors work closely with students on to ensure they learn different writing styles and techniques that will aid them when answering the questions. Georgia felt that this is something the college definitely helped with which is evident in her completion of the course at an excellent grade.

Tell us your thoughts on your qualification…

“I believe it’s important to achieve the functional skills qualifications because once you have them you never have to do it again! It also helps you to get a job because it is always something employers will be looking for.” Georgia felt it was particularly important for her to achieve the qualifications to help her “achieve my dream career and earn money to buy equipment for my music.”

What advice would you give to someone else studying towards their functional skills qualifications?

“Even if you find it difficult, just keep pushing yourself to stay focused and making sure to listen and ask your teacher questions about the work if you’re struggling, that's what they are there for.”

Jack is currently studying L3 Electrical at Hertford Regional College, alongside completing his English Functional Skills exam at grade 4.

Have you experienced any Challenges while studying your English and Maths?

Our staff at Hertford Regional College work exceptionally hard to ensure all students feel supported throughout their functional skills programmes. The courses provide students with the opportunity to enhance their employability skills and further their studies. Many of our students initially find the skill practices challenging, Jack said, “English I found hard at first with my dyslexia.” Many students take their functional skills alongside their full-time studies, which some can find overwhelming. However, working with like-minded individuals and supportive tutors, Jack “Studied hard and got the grade I needed.”

How important was it for you to get this qualification?

Like Jack, many of our students attend the college without the qualifications they need to do the courses/careers they aspire to do. After asking Jack his thoughts on functional skills, he said, “I think it is very important to achieve the qualifications as it’s what employers look for in their companies now.” Functional skills are vital skills used in our everyday lives. Jack believes, “it will help me secure better job opportunities in the future.”

What advice would you give to someone who is studying towards their maths and/or English qualifications?

“Get your head down and work because you will regret it when you need a job with qualification entries.”

If you are interested in gaining a Functional Skills qualification or would like to know more about the courses we offer at HRC, please see here.

Elizabeth has just graduated with a Diploma in Education and Training with future aspirations to teach beauty therapy.

Where it began

Previously, Elizabeth “worked as a receptionist part-time whilst attending HRC to study beauty therapy at levels 2 and 3.” Elizabeth really enjoyed her time at the college and aspires to teach what she loves. After the completion of her beauty therapy course, she looked for Higher Education options that would enable her to gain a qualification and develop essential life skills, confidence, and independence. Elizabeth had “studied here previously which is why I wanted to come back.”

The course

“The best part of my course was shadowing a teacher, especially when it was a teacher that used to teach me. It was strange at first seeing the other side of it rather than being a student.” We asked Elizabeth to tell us a little more about what her course covered, she said: “The course covered a lot but what I really enjoyed was delivering lessons, doing lesson plans and getting to know the students.”

“It has just been a lovely experience.”

Challenges

“Teaching can be really hard at first, there was one point where I walked out crying because I didn’t think I could handle it. Looking back, I feel I really overcame that and surprised myself, I definitely feel a lot more confident now.” The support from the staff is really what makes the course a valuable experience. Elizabeth said, “My tutor Ian was amazing, he’s such a lovely guy and super helpful, I can’t fault him.”

Future Goals

“My future goals are to simply teach beauty.”

If you would like to find out more about our Teacher Training course, please click here.

Liam has recently completed a foundation degree in graphic design and will be graduating in October with a fantastic portfolio and his own brand design. 

Inspirations

Our Higher Education courses offer a wide range of trips and work placements to really inspire our students and their work. This year our students took a trip to Iceland, Liam said, “I was so inspired by the trip that I decided I wanted to design my own travel company.” The brand he created named ‘Odyssey’ is based around an “ancient Greek idea that has a fresh approach to travel.” The brand is inspired to “match people to their ideal holidays, I wanted something that was reflective of social media and how younger generations use the internet in their daily lives.”

“Initially I was stuck between the ideas of a travel company or a men’s grooming brand. However, taking the trip with HRC really confirmed that a travel company was the one for me.”

HE Grad Exhibition

All of our creative enterprise foundation students are required to complete a final major project to conclude the course and their qualification. At the end of the year, they are given the opportunity to exhibit their final project in the David Gentlemen Gallery based at our Ware Campus. This year’s incredible exhibition included all of Liam’s final design ideas for his brand company ‘Odyssey’ that took 2 months of hard work to put together. 

What’s next?

“I have loved doing my foundation degree, it has given me a realistic experience of what it’s like to work in the industry and I have had lots of work opportunities.”

“Now I have completed my course I am off to a work in the industry as a designer for an interior design company, which I’m really excited about. Long term I would like to be an Art Director/Graphic Director managing my own team of designers."

 “The more you put into it, the more you get out of it!”  

 We wish Liam the very best of luck.

To follow Liam’s story and his work, follow @liamosullivandesign on Instagram and support him through his journey.

To keep up to date with all of our creative enterprise student activities, follow our Instagram account @creative_enterprise_hub!

Dean graduated in October 2018 with an HND in Music Technology prior to completing his level 3 in Music at HRC.

Starting out

Dean attended HRC straight after school not knowing what he wanted to do. Initially, Dean completed a level 1 in sport but decided that it wasn’t the career choice for him. He wanted to move courses as “music is something I have always enjoyed and I wanted to better myself in my career.” Dean knew that he wanted to do another course at Hertford Regional College because the staff are so supportive and the specialist music equipment was exactly what he was looking for. We pride ourselves at HRC from how safe students feel when attending the college, which was also an important factor for Dean. He also said he liked the fact, “my friends attended here too and it’s close to home."

The course

Dean said, “I would definitely recommend this course and the college.” Both the courses he completed in Music over the 3 years taught him so much. “The best part of the course for me was covering live music performance and using the recording studio.” The music studio offers fantastic equipment which helps students to be as creative and expressive as they choose. The analogue desk is great for recording live performances and there’s a sound-proof vocal booth to reduce the noise level to -30 DBS which is especially a hit with our students.

Future

“Ideally I’d really like to get a job in a music studio, although if not then definitely somewhere else in the music industry.” Dean really has found his passion and we are excited to see how his hard work has paid off!

If you would like to know more about our HND Music course, please click here! If you would like to see our other higher education courses, click here.

Lesley is a Finance Manager for a charity called SNU Trust based in Stanstead. Lesley studied part-time Accountancy alongside her full-time job in order to progress in her career and is now fully qualified in AAT levels 2, 3 & 4, completing in May 2018.

Starting out

Lesley said she “fell into this career after working for banks when I left school.” She moved very quickly into the industry when she discovered she had “transferable skills.”

Why HRC?

After a few years, Lesley decided to take a career break. However, she found when returning to the industry that she needed formal qualifications to be able to do the job she wanted, “a QBE was no longer acceptable in my area of work.” Lesley chose HRC as it was close to home for her and the AAT Part-time course covered all of the skill aspects she needed to progress further within her job role. The course covered aspects such as bookkeeping, company accounts and the consolidation of accounts. After completion of the course, Lesley said, “I now have the confidence to fulfill my role to the best of my ability and be sure that I have the skills and understanding to ensure that the charity I work for puts into place good business practices.”

“I definitely recommend HRC, although I would urge anyone thinking of doing this course to ensure you have the time to devote to it as it is a big commitment but ultimately worth the effort!”

Tell us more about yourself and how the qualification has helped you

“I’m the Finance Manager for a charity and oversee all things including office admin, investments with brokers, consolidation of Ltd Co accounts over three sites, partial exemption VAT, bank accounts, management accounts, budgets, anything at all really!

In the past, the organisation would be guided by our auditors in terms of how we need to do things to ensure we stayed compliant with statutory regulations. Whilst we still get the guidance, it’s now assumed that the person in this role has the understanding to implement annd agree on any changes, rather than asking how to make them. In addition, a better grasp of the consolidation process means that I can ensure records are kept that help our auditors to review our accounts much more quickly resulting in much lower accounting costs for the charity at the year-end. It’s also rather nice to understand what’s being explained during our audit rather than keeping notes and going away to work what they were talking about later!

Going forward should I wish to move on to another job, I have the formal qualification to back up my CV as much of what I have done is QBE.”

If you feel inspired by Lesley's story or would like to know more about the part-time courses that we offer here at HRC, click here!

Isabelle has recently graduated with an HNC in Public Services after completing her level 3 public services in 2017. She is now continuing here at HRC to complete her HND this year.

Why HRC?

Isabelle “previously attended the college so I already knew my way around, HRC just has a really friendly atmosphere.” Isabelle has attended HRC for over 2 years, she feels comfortable and safe at the college and believes it is a good place to “further progress your education.” This is something she has “always wanted to do” and believes HRC is the best place to do it.

Tell us about your course and tutors

Our Public Services tutors have an impressive array of medals and commendations from their time in the Army and Police force. Their experiences range from frontline policing to CID, rising through the ranks to Detective Constable and Sergeant in the Metropolitan Police and serving in the British Army. Isabelle told us about how much the course covers, even on areas you wouldn’t expect but are so invaluable. Some aspects include, “Sociology, global environment and a lot of educational background into policing.”

Future goals

Isabelle has now had over 2 years’ experience in public services and knows exactly where she’s heading. Isabelle said, “My future goal is to go into border force at an airport.” HRC has supported Isabelle throughout her journey and we are excited to see her succeed in her career!

To find out more about our Higher Education courses, click here!