Returning to education as an adult can feel daunting, especially when it means starting again in a completely new field. But for Adult learners like Aaron and Ahmed, retraining in the Automotive industry has opened doors to new skills and new confidence.
Aaron, an Adult learner on our Level 2 Automotive 19+ course, studied a different industry while at College as a school leaver. As he began his career, he realized he wanted a change when he found work with a mobile mechanic.
“I realized, if I want to pursue things further, I need to really try and work on getting the paperwork with proper qualifications because a lot more things nowadays rely on having the qualifications and the additional training to be able to progress your career.”
He enrolled on the Level 2 Automotive course for adults at EKC Broadstairs College to build on the skills he had already learned.
“It felt daunting at first,” he said. “You have that little thing in the back of your head — I’m 30, is it right? Is it not? But it doesn’t work like that. You’ve got to really put your foot in through the door and try different career choices to work out whether it’s right for you.”
For Ahmed, his reason for joining the Level 2 Automotive course for 19+ was similar.
“Growing up, my first thing to do was football. I got to semi-professional level and played for Ramsgate FC, Margate FC, and Millwall FC Academy,” he said.
But as he got older, he wanted something more long-term.
“I was always interested in cars, so I found this course and came to EKC Broadstairs College. I’m hoping to get the certificate and find a local job, hopefully somewhere like Nissan.”
Stephen Mitchell, Programme Director for Plumbing and Electrical at Broadstairs College, said Adult courses exist to support people who want to change their path.
“For the majority of Adult courses that we offer, it’s the opportunity for either adults that have no formal qualifications or those that want to retrain in a different profession,” he said.
“We give them the opportunity to progress into a different trade or industry.”
“Adults want to learn. That’s why we teach them. It’s not about the money or the funding. If you want to learn my course, I’ll teach you my course,” said Stephen.
If you’d like to change your career, view our facilities and workshops or talk to someone about how Adult learning can work for you, visit us at our upcoming Open Days or get in touch with our team.
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