Made at HRC Case Studies

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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,.

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.

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 

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..

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.