School: Queen Katherine School

Course taken at college: BTEC Sports Development

What did you do after college?
• Professional contracts in Australia, Romania and Germany
• Competed in 4 European Championships
• Competed in 2011/12 World League
• Competed at London Olympic Games
• Won Gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games
• Become a Personal Trainer and Co-owner of BayFit Ltd

What is your favourite thing about your job?
Being able to use my personal experiences as an athlete to help others achieve their own personal goals in life.

Why did you choose Lancaster & Morecambe College?
LMC had the best reputation for sports courses in the area.

What were the best bits about your course?
Having the flexibility to allow myself to continue with my sports and still be able to complete my college work. The tutors were incredibly supportive.

Why did you choose your course?
Sport at LMC was most suitable course for what I wanted to do after school.

What would you say to someone who was thinking about doing the same course?
Go for it! You learn a great deal of all aspects with fitness industry, sports, activities and running events.

Anything else you would like to tell us?
I always struggled at school but managed to excel much greater at college. The environment and support allowed me to be the best version of myself.

Course taken at college: Carpentry, maths and English

Current Job: Carpenter and shop Proprietor

What have you done since leaving Lancaster & Morecambe College?
I feel like I have gone from strength to strength after leaving College. After winning the Skill Builds award whilst still at college, I have now been accepted into the Institute of Carpenters (LIOC) at the grade of Licentiate in recognition of my achievements at College. The Institute also recognised the high regard for me expressed by the College lecturers and my referees. I then went on to be placed second in the Institute of Carpenters Competition with my handmade piece. I was also the youngest child to complete a full interior conversion of a camper van from start to finish before my 16th Birthday.

What is your favourite thing about your job?
I am particularly interested in reclaiming materials and seeing them transformed and rejuvenated into something new. Carpentry has always been a love of mine from being a child.

Why did you choose to study at LMC?
I have always wanted to be cabin crew and I hoped this course will allow me to follow my dreams.

What were the best bits about your course?
The Tutors were outstanding hence why I have been able to go on to such a high grade so quickly. I felt that I was respected and treated equally and allowed to work on my own when I was able and my own ideas were encouraged.

Why did you choose your course?
Cabin Crew was the job for me. Before the course I was unsure of correct application procedures.

What would you say to someone who was thinking about doing the course?
It’s an excellent course to take, from if you just wanted to become handier around the home or the basis if you want to go to the top and becoming Master Craftsman.

Anything else you would like to tell us?
For any other Home educators or for teenagers that are struggling at school for whatever reason, I found that when I attended college I was treated with respect and able to get on with my work without interference or judgement and that I had positive support. I would highly recommend the College and thoroughly enjoyed my time there and I’m very thankful for the encouragement and support I had from my tutors.

 Course taken at college: Air Cabin Crew 

Current Occupation: Virgin Trains onboard assistant

What did you do after College?
I was employed by Virgin Trains as an onboard customer service assistant.

What are the best bits about your job?
My favourite parts of the job are that no two days are the same and I get to meet new people everyday.

Why did you choose Lancaster & Morecambe College?
I chose LMC to do a course focused on my career choice.

What are the best bits about your course?
Learning about aviation past and present. Role plays were also helpful as they prepared me for real interviews and real jobs.

Why did you choose your course?
I chose to study Air Cabin Crew to get an extra qualification to go with my travel & tourism A Level.

What would you say to someone who was thinking about doing the same course?
I highly recommend this course to anybody wanting to work in the travel & tourism industry.

Anything else you would like to tell us?
Prepare, practice and go for it.

Course taken at college: Air Cabin Crew

What were the best bits about your course?
After I left LMC I went straight into my full time position at Gates Travel in Kendal, having spent a few months in the Kendal shop learning the ropes of leisure travel I move over to the Ambleside branch where I have been learning a lot more about business and corporate travel. I have spent two years in total at Gates Travel. Alongside the business travel I have struck up a passion for holidays to America including fly drives / US city breaks and my most favourite is helping families with Florida itineraries.

How did you get into your career?
I got into my career because I had previously done work experience at Gates Travel when I was studying travel and tourism at A Level. I was coming to the end of my time doing the Air Cabin Crew course and I emailed the managers asking if they had any positions which were becoming available.

What were the best bits about your course?
I had the best year of my life at Lancaster & Morecambe College, I met so many amazing girls, who like me, had a natural passion for the travel industry. By far my best bit was the day we visited the Thomas Cook Training Centre. It was brilliant, we got to learn so much. Another one of my favourite memories was the Virgin Trains recruitment day, we did lots of activities throughout the day as if we were a part of their application process and this led me to having a week work experience on board the trains going between Oxenholme and London serving the first class passengers.

Why did you choose Lancaster & Morecambe College?
I chose Lancaster & Morecambe College because cabin crew was something I always had my heart set on and this is one of the only colleges I knew that did the course. Although the college was quite far from where I lived it was definitely worth all the travelling and traffic jams!

How did LMC help you get where you are today?
Although I haven’t quite made it into cabin crew I am thoroughly enjoying my time as a travel consultant learning the ins and outs of the workplaces. Without Lancaster & Morecambe College I wouldn’t have had the confidence to reach out to different industries and workplaces and be where I am today. They helped me with applying for different cabin crew roles and being interview ready. Like I said before even though haven’t made it into cabin crew I wouldn’t change what I do, I have learnt so much about cruising, tailor made holidays, skiing holidays and rail journeys within the UK and Europe. I have recently had the pleasure to go on a Fred Olsen cruise to help with my knowledge of cruising and it was a fantastic experience.

What would you say to someone who was thinking about doing the same course?
All I can say is take the jump and go for it. As a course it will not disappoint, the tutors will teach you absolutely everything you need to know and more. They will help you applying for jobs and the trips they provide are brilliant. As the tutors are previously from travel related jobs they do know what they are talking about and I would recommend fully taking on board everything they have to say. They are superstars and I wouldn’t be where I am without them. Also the girls I met on the course will absolutely be friends for life; I am still in regular contact with a lot of them checking what they are up to and where they are jetting off to.

High school: Bentham School

Current Occupation: Private Chef

What have you done since leaving Lancaster & Morecambe College?
After leaving LMC in 1997, I worked as a chef for my parents, owners of Whitewalls Restaurant in Hest Bank. I then went to work for Steven Doherty at the Punchbowl Inn in Crosthwaite for roughly a year, who then sent me down to London in 1999 to work at the Mandarin Oriental under David Nicholls and Hywel Jones at restaurant, Foliage. After just over two years working hard in a busy London Michelin starred, I decided to see the bigger picture outside of fine dining and ended up being head chef of a gastro pub in Knightsbridge called Swag & Tails. It was supposed to be a temporary position for a month…ended up staying for 4 years!

Then I was introduced into the world of superyachting. I helped a chef friend of mine at the 2005 Monaco Grand Prix on a yacht…it certainly opened my eyes as to what’s outside London. I came back to London and decided to leave my job and managed to get my first job on a Superyacht in 2006. I worked on a few yachts ranging from 35m to 60m in size. Sailing around the World cooking for the rich & famous. I stayed working at sea for 12 years but I got offered a job recently to get my feet back on dry land, working currently as a private chef in a family house.

Why did you choose to study at LMC?
Apart from being a very good college for catering it was also close by from home!

What were the best bits about your course?
The RWE (real working environment) was a great idea and an insight into a working restaurant, even though I lived in one! Also getting to the Grand Final of the Nestle Toque D’or in 1996 was a great achievement and start to my cheffing career.

Why did you choose your course?
Having finished my A levels and was going to go into design, living and working in a restaurant changed my mind and catering was the course I wanted to do. Although I wasn’t too pleased about doing the service side of the course, it wasn’t until later I realised how necessary it was to understand both sides of catering!

What would you say to someone who was thinking about doing the course?
Go for it! With hard work and commitment you can go anywhere with catering. But it’s not going to be easy and it’s a tough industry with long and unsociable hours so passion is must! But the job itself is rewarding in many ways, meeting friends for life around the world.

Anything else you would like to tell us?
The lecturers are unparalleled. Their hard work and dedication to the students to move forward in the course and further our start with the connections they have in the industry was certainly a great support and guidance to start my career in Hospitality & Catering.

www.geoff-the-chef.webs.com
www.instagram.com/geoff.the.chef
www.facebook.com/geoff.the.chef

Course taken at college: Level 3 Music, HNC/D Music & BA(hons) Music Production

What are you doing now?
I am working as a Composer working specifically within the field of music for video games.

What are the best things about your course?
The course enabled me to work in a professional environment and really familiarise myself with the practical application of the skills we were learning. It was great being able to test my skills with location recordings and it showed me how I can fully utilise a space or piece of technology.

The career focus module helped me to prepare an extensive portfolio of work that is relevant to my field. I was able to fully establish my brand ready for after graduation. It also made sure that I was prepared and understood the industry.

The composition modules, paired with the tutor support encouraged me to work outside my comfort zone and allowed me to create ambitious projects. Through the lectures I was able to learn a lot about experimentation and how to think outside the box. The amount of effort that went into facilitating me as a student was second to none

Why did you choose the course?
For a long time I wanted to compose music for the moving image. This course had all the elements I needed to improve my creative abilities as a composer as well as develop my technical skills as a producer and engineer.

Why did you choose Lancaster & Morecambe College?
The college offered great facilities and fantastic tutors. I came to LMC because it offers actual time with tutors. I believe that to be one of its strongest assets. To have committed tutors who are genuinely interested in your work and will help you achieve your goals is beyond valuable.

What would you say to someone who was thinking about doing the course?
Make use of everything you have here, because you are going to miss it when you’re gone.

Anything else you would like to tell us?
If it wasn’t for this course and the wonderful tutors, I wouldn’t be able to make a living doing what I love…I’m truly grateful.

High School: Ripley St. Thomas Academy

Current occupation: Warehouse Junior Manager

What have you done since leaving Lancaster & Morecambe College?
Since leaving LMC I have become a Warehouse Junior Manager at Pure Luxuries and I’m really enjoying it. When I first started at Pure Luxuries I was a warehouse assistant and over the past two years I have progressed to my current position. I have also started playing American football for the team Morecambe Bay Storm in my own time.

Why did you choose to study at LMC?
LMC gave me the opportunity to go into warehousing and logistics and I felt that LMC was the only college in the area who could help me to pursue this.

What were the best bits about your course?
I enjoyed this course a lot. I just wanted to get straight into a job and this course did exactly what I wanted. As an Apprenticeship, it really helped me to develop my skills.

Why did you choose your course?
I felt that I needed something different, so I decided to go for it and it is the best decision I could have made. Who knows where I would be if I hadn’t gone for it.

What would you say to someone who was thinking about doing the course?
I’d definitely recommend this course. This course has help me with my career path and has also helped  me develop as a person growing up during my early adult years.

Anything else you would like to tell us?
If you’re wondering what the future holds and don’t know what to do, have a look at this course, it could be exactly for you! If it isn’t for you, remember it’s not for life. There no harm in giving it a try.

School: Heysham High School

Current Occupation: Owner of Prestige Health & Beauty Ltd.

What did you do after College?
I was working at a Salon in Milnthorpe while finishing my Level 3 as I had a job lined up with Steiner Cruises. I went to London for the training but decided that it wasn’t for me at that time. I came home and got a job at another local salon where I stayed for 10 years. I was able to gain the confidence and skills with training along the way. I was able to use many different brands, and then I felt like I was ready to go alone. I started Prestige Health & Beauty Ltd in 2010 which was hard but very enjoyable and has been a great success . I have five other members of staff and we have won Salon of the Year and Customer Service awards at the English Beauty Awards, two years in a row. I am extremely proud of my team for these awards and am proud of the career that I have built myself.

How did you get into your career?
I had always loved all aspects of beauty and loved being with people.

What are the best things about your course?
I enjoyed all of my two years of beauty training, especially the anatomy & aromatherapy modules. The course really opened my eyes to how many career choices you had.

Why did you choose Lancaster & Morecambe College?
I chose LMC because it had an excellent reputation.

How did LMC help you get where you are today?
LMC helped me find my career path for the future!

What would you say to someone who was thinking about doing the course?
To really think about whether or not it’s the course for them. I’ve found over the years that a lot of girls go in to this course thinking it’s all very glamorous, only to drop out once they realise there is a lot more to the course. There is a lot to learn but also so much opportunity in this career.

Anything else you would like to tell us?
Beauty Therapy is a fabulous course with lots of exciting opportunities!

Courses taken at college: Public Services

Current Occupation: Law Student

What did you do after College?
After college, I placed my career to the side and went on to be a health care assistant.

How did you get into your career?
I got back into my career ten years after college. Once I had my daughter, it made me realise how important my education is. I seeked some advice from a careers advisor who said my UCAS points from college could allow me to undertake a law degree at university. Additionally I received a £1,000 scholarship, because of my grades at college. I have just completed my undergraduate programme, and from September, I will be undertaking my masters.

What were the best bits about your course?
The friends I made on my course and the teachers were brilliant at guiding you and building up our confidence. We were lucky to go on many overnight trips to practice our team leading and teamwork skills.

Why did you choose Lancaster & Morecambe College?
I chose Lancaster & Morecambe College because the Public Services course was a challenge but this came with growth and opportunities. The course was a combination of physical and mental challenges. Additionally, we were given the opportunity of meaningful work experience placements, student support at this college is amazing, from providing one to one help in the classroom to offering advice, study support and financial guidance for students.

How did LMC help you get where you are today?
After leaving school with very poor grades my confidence was at an all-time low, I really felt that even with college grades I would not be able to get where I want to be. However, with the help of the teachers/student support I was able to turn my grades from a pass to triple distinctions. Additionally I was able to see that the practical skills taught would help me so much in the personal development aspect of my life, plus the combination of equivalent to GCSE’s, and my UCAS points, helped me to get to university.

What would you say to someone who was thinking about doing the same course?
To aim high in your grades, the higher the grade the higher your UCAS points, enabling you to access more courses on a degree level.

What have you done since leaving Lancaster & Morecambe College?
I moved abroad and worked for Camp America which was brilliant. I’m now working at Jet2.com as a member of their Cabin Crew, which I love! The process to secure my job with them was virtually stress-free because I’d learned and prepared for a lot of it during my course. I completed an online application, had a telephone interview, followed by an interview day at Manchester Radisson Blu hotel and from this I went on to complete my four week training programme.

Why did you choose to study at LMC?
The course has been running for a long time and people have been employed because of the training and qualifications they have acquired at LMC.

What were the best bits about your course?
Each day was different, the course was fun and the tutors were helpful throughout, right to applying and preparing for jobs. I made friends for life too; our travel group is like a second family.

Why did you choose your course?
I have always had an interest in flying. Cabin Crew is a job that suits my personality and lets me travel the world.

What would you say to someone who was thinking about doing the course?
Do it! It’s so much fun, we were always smiling and having a laugh on the course. You’ll learn lifelong skills that will stick in your memory and will help you when you go in to the industry.

Anything else you would like to tell us?
The courses gave me confidence to apply for the jobs I wanted and prepared me with what to say and how to act throughout the interview process. I really enjoy cabin crew. There have been so many new places I’ve been to, which I wouldn’t have experienced had I not joined the cabin crew course. My favourite destination so far has to be New York where I had a 5 day stay-over. I also went on a Christmas flight to Lapland which was amazing.

Current Occupation: Personal Trainer & Swimming Instructor

What did you do after college?
I started working at Castle Green Hotel in Kendal as a Fitness Instructor, where I successfully completed a variety of courses enabling me to work towards becoming a Personal Trainer. I also trained as a Swimming Instructor and taught a lot of different classes including Boxercise, Aqua Aerobics, Circuits and others.

I am now working as a Self-Employed Swimming Teacher & Personal Trainer.

How did you get into your career?
After spending time using different gyms and realising how much of a rewarding career can be had in the fitness industry, I decided to apply for jobs in Leisure Clubs so I could gain some experience and begin my fitness career.

What were the best bits about your course?
The course covers a vast variety of subjects, which in turn increased my understanding of many different aspects of sport & fitness. The best part of the course for me was the amount of practical work it incurred. This was so important as it helped me to gain appropriate knowledge and skills to confidently coach large groups of people. These skills helped me to progress in my career after college.

I was part of the Development Football team which was really enjoyable; being able to train every day and receive fantastic training sessions from experienced coaches really helped me to improve both my fitness and footballing skills.

Why did you choose Lancaster & Morecambe College?
I chose LMC because I wanted to focus totally on a Sports course as I knew this is was the career I wanted to pursue. After looking around the college and seeing what the course had to offer, I knew it was going to be right for me.

How did LMC help you get where you are today?
The knowledge and experience I reaped from all the different subjects helped me gain important skills that I have been able to use to progress in my career.

What would you say to someone who was thinking about doing the same course?
The course covers many subjects associated with sport and fitness, which helps to give more of an idea which part of the industry you may wish to work in. You will also get the chance to meet new people who share the same interest which helps make your time at the college more enjoyable.

Anything else you would like to tell us?
There was always a friendly atmosphere around the sports centre, everyone got on well including students and staff. The college organised some fantastic trips including a stay at Club La Santa in Lanzarote, I went twice and it was a brilliant experience both times. It allowed me to meet people from different courses.

Going to college was the best decision I made, the whole experience was great and it has helped me get to where I am today.

Current occupation: Communication Specialist in the British Army

What did you do after college?
I decided to travel around Australia for a year to gain experience of other countries cultures and lifestyles. On my return to the UK, I applied to join the Army.

How did you get into your career?
Even from my college days I always knew that I wanted to do something physical and challenging for a career. I could never see myself sat behind a desk working 9-5. I had also carried out work experience with the Army through LMC so I decided I wanted to explore the Army pathway. Six months later I was on a train heading to Pirbright to start my basic training.

What were the best bits about your course?
The best bit for me was 100% being able to play football every day. I made some friends for life at LMC who have made me the person I am today. They made my time at LMC unforgettable with the times we spent on and off the pitch and for me, they were some of the most memorable days of my life. Even now 10 years on, I still reminisce about my LMC days, and what I would give to go back even just for a week. The tutors were so influential and my football coaches were excellent. I did not realise at the time, but the coaches wanted nothing more than to see success for their students. They would always do anything in their power to make sure we developed and succeeded which was great.

Why did you choose Lancaster & Morecambe College?
I did not do as well as I hoped in my GCSEs and the Army initially turned me away for being too small. LMC gave me an opportunity to do something worthwhile which appealed to me and made me realise I still had other career options to explore.

How did LMC help you get where you are today?
The time I spent at LMC made me a much more confident person! It re-opened doors for me which I thought were closed for good. LMC also introduced me to Morecambe Ladies Football Club. I honestly believe a lot of the characteristics I cherish, which have made me a better soldier over the years, were gained at LMC.

What would you say to someone who was thinking about doing the same course?
If you want to do a course where you have a laugh every day, make friends who will be there for you through the highs and lows, push yourself into proving you can achieve more than you thought, and give yourself many opportunities for the future then stop thinking about it and get on the Sport & Public Service courses at LMC.

Anything else you would like to tell us?
In the past 6 years I have been to Brazil, America, Majorca, Sierra Leonne, Holland, Germany, mostly through playing sport for the Army. I have met Wayne Rooney, Theo Walcott, and the whole England team. I have done and experienced things that I would never have had the chance to do without the Army. I would never have been able to do that without the support of LMC who helped me realise what career I wanted to do.

Current occupation: Head of Nurture at Crookhey Hall School (Teacher)

What did you do after College?

I went to UClan to top up my Sports Coaching Foundation Degree. I then decided to take another career option route working in a residential care home with young people for four years. I completed a Level 3 in Childcare qualification during my employment.

How did you get into your career?

I did a part time teaching qualification at LMC working in the Sports department. Approximately six months after finishing the PGCE qualification, I applied for a teaching position at Crookhey Hall School as a Physical Education Teacher. After two years of employment at the school, I was asked if I wanted to take on the Nurture Suite. This involved nurturing and developing the younger pupils which I still do today.

What were the best bits about your course?

The atmosphere in and around college and the friends you meet which I still have contact with today. The opportunities that are available at LMC. I was lucky enough to work in Bulgaria on a Summer Sports Camp in 2008. I also fortunate to travel to Russia to work with a grammar school and had the opportunity to travel to Slovakia on two occasions for a skiing holiday.

Why did you choose Lancaster & Morecambe College?

I decided from an early age I wanted to work in sport and be employed in the education sector. LMC offered me plenty of opportunities at the time, it was local and I could join the Rugby academy. The interview process put me at ease and the staff made me feel welcome.

What would you say to someone who was thinking about doing the same course?

I would say without a shadow of doubt to have a think about LMC. Have a visit. The opportunities available and the chances I had were life changing and it certainly broaden my horizons. Without LMC offering the variety of courses that I did, I probably would not be where I am now.

How did LMC help you get where you are today?

The support and teaching staff where so supportive and they also had the time for me. They encouraged me to do my best. I remember my tutor noticed for the first time, throughout my whole education life, that I may have dyslexia. He put me through the test and it turned out that I did have dyslexia. The support available throughout my studies at LMC was excellent. I still remain grateful for this, as I have learnt how to deal with it, and overcome this barrier.

Anything else you would like to tell us?

Thank you to Iain Parkinson for noticing that I had dyslexia. Thank you to Jayne Roper for mentoring me through my teaching qualification and then giving me a great reference which supported my application to my Career now.

Current occupation: Gym Instructor

What did you do after college?
After completing college I originally went to Edge Hill University, but after a couple of months of being there decided that this wasn’t the way forward for me so I decided to take a big risk and leave. This thankfully worked out better than I expected and I found myself getting an apprenticeship in my local gym just 10 minutes from where I live.

How did you get into your career?
After searching online for local apprenticeships to do with sport I found my local gym was on there, so I decided to take my CV down to them and thankfully they decided to hire me.

What were the best bits about your course?
The best bit about my course...there’s lots to choose from including the friendships I made, the opportunities the course had to offer and how easy and friendly the staff were to get on with. But the best bit for me was probably how much we were able to play sports every week and how we got to try new sports like Lacrosse, Archery, Handball and many more. Opportunities I wouldn’t be able to get elsewhere.

Why did you choose Lancaster & Morecambe College?
I chose Lancaster & Morecambe College after listening to friends that had already gone there, the facilities they had to offer and how easy it was to get there.

How did LMC help you get where you are today?
Through completing my course at LMC it allowed me to get the grades to get into university even though I never stuck it out there. But LMC also helped me get the job I’ve got today. My current employers looked at what I had done at college and the experienced I gained there in the sports department.

What would you say to someone who was thinking about doing the same course?
Give everything, enjoy it and go for all of the opportunities they offer. Some of my best memories are from going abroad with the college and playing football every week with the team in my first year.

High School: Garstang High School

What have you done since leaving Lancaster & Morecambe College?
My College qualification enabled be to study for a Law Degree which I successfully completed gaining a 2:1 in 1988.  Since then I have successfully completed professional qualifications, becoming an Insolvency Practitioner in 1995, a PGCE teaching qualification in 1998, and in 2014 a Masters Degree in Business & Administration (MBA).

Having initially trained as an accountant I found I was more interested in the general cut and thrust of business rather than just looking at the numbers. This lead me to specialize in business rescue and Insolvency within an accountancy practice and ultimately lead to me setting up my own Insolvency Practice in Lancaster in 1999.

Having successfully grown and developed my Insolvency Practice I decided to sell the business in 2012 to a large national Insolvency Practice so that I could pursue other career interests which had become possible having completed my MBA.

Since 2012, I have set up a retail business which operates as the Bra Shop in Morecambe, offer Business Consultancy, training and Digital Marketing services through my other business, Lunesdale Business Consulting, I am employed part time as Financial Controller/Digital Marketing Manager for a local online business and in my spare time I deliver management and leadership workshops on behalf of LMC Business!

There is never a dull moment, and I thoroughly enjoy the fact that I can use my broad business skills to help local businesses grow and prosper and share my knowledge and experience in partnership with LMC Business to develop important skills for our local economy.

Why did you choose to study at LMC?
For various reasons my High School education was not as successful as one would hope. By enrolling at Lancaster & Morecambe College I was able to get an important second chance with my education and importantly kick start my career.

What were the best bits about your course?
I met some fantastic people from a broad mix of backgrounds and ages which really brought the topics to life through lively debate and the sharing of differing experiences.  I was also able to enjoy the social side of College too.  I played football for the College team, enjoyed many social events with those on my course, made some great friendships and had a particularly memorable overseas trip with the College to the European Parliament in Brussels.

Why did you choose your course?
Really, I have to thank my Uncle who worked at the College for that! Having left school I was not sure what I wanted to do despite being very enthusiastic and ambitious.  By chance I ended up on a business studies course and fortunately found it was something I had a genuine interest in and which allowed me to use skills I never knew I had.

What would you say to someone who was thinking about doing the course?
Studying Business Studies can transform your life! If you work hard, commit to your studies and fully engage with the work, it can provide you with an amazing foundation for a career across a broad range of disciplines.

Anything else you would like to tell us?
I have always been incredibly grateful to the College for giving me the skills and confidence I needed to pursue a career in professional services.  I am equally grateful now for the opportunity to work with the College to help develop skills in the next generation and hopefully create for them the same opportunities that I enjoyed.

School: Dallam

What did you do after College?
I started studying Policing & Criminal Investigation Bsc Degree at UCLan.

How did you get into your career?
I completed the Public Services course at LMC and applied to UCLan through UCAS.

What were the best bits about your course?
The staff at LMC were amazing and were always there to help whenever you needed them. The trips that we went on were really beneficial, especially the week with the Army at Altcar training camp. The Great Tower trip at the start of the course meant that we could all get to know each other as well. I was also lucky enough to go to Slovakia as part of the European links.

Why did you choose Lancaster & Morecambe College?
I did a year of A Levels and decided that they weren’t really for me. I knew that I wanted to go into the Police so I started looking for courses that would help and found this course at LMC.

How did LMC help you get where you are today?
The opportunities were brilliant. The visit from the Army Reserves led to me joining for a short time which was great and the Law unit was especially useful for my uni course.

What would you say to someone who was thinking about doing the same course?
If you’re interested in joining the public services, the modules taught on this course are a great introduction and insight into what you’ll need.

Anything else you would like to tell us?
I am currently in my second year of university and at the end of January I will be going to study at the Police Academy of the Netherlands for 5 months for a semester abroad as part of the Erasmus Project.

School
Ripley St Thomas Church of England Academy

University
University of Cumbria, where I achieved a First Class Hons. Degree in Adult Nursing.

Current job and employer
I am now a Registered Nurse working on Ward 37 at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary.

What were the best things about your course?
The staff at College were very supportive and the course reflected the university course and prepared me
well for my next step.

Why did you choose your course?
My goal after education was always to become a Nurse. This course offered the chance to learn more about nursing and offered practical experience on the various work placements.

Why did you choose Lancaster and Morecambe College?
I chose LMC because it’s my local college and had a good feel about it on the Open Day.

What would you say to someone who was thinking about doing the course?
I would say definitely go for it. The course is hard work but worthwhile, it’s a great experience!

How did LMC help you to get where you are today?
Studying at LMC offered me the opportunity to apply for university and achieve my goal of becoming a nurse. The work placements helped to increase my confidence and gave me the opportunity to network in medical environments.

What are your plans for the future?
I’m aiming to be the kind of nurse I would want my family to be treated by.

School: Our Lady’s Catholic College

What are you doing now?
I’m not working at EasyJet as a member of Cabin Crew.

What were the best bits about your course?
The insight in to what the job is actually like was beneficial. The training for interviews and assessment days was a great help when it came to applying for cabin crew positions. The training the tutors provide was amazing and the course is really fun.

Why did you choose your course?
I have always been interested in working within the industry and hoped the course would set me on my way – which it definitely did!

Why did you choose Lancaster & Morecambe College?
I wanted to train in cabin crew, which is such a specialist area, so I was really pleased that my local college offered it.

What would you say to someone who was thinking about doing the course?
Do it! It is a great help for a start in something you dream of doing. If you want a future in travel, this course can really show you day to day life of it, and train you in way that really prepares you for going into industry.

School: Thorncliffe School (now Furness Academy)

What are you doing now?
After finishing my cabin crew course at Lancaster & Morecambe College I was successful in my interview with jet2.com and started my training with them in April 2011. I was then based in Edinburgh and I was lucky enough to receive a permanent contract my first year, and in my third year I was promoted to Cabin Manager.

In May 2017 I was successful in my interview with jet2 to become a Cabin Crew Trainer. This role involves training crew onboard that are going up a rank such as crew being promoted to Cabin Managers. Training onboard the aircraft involves ensuring they work to the high jet2 safety standards as well as being able to efficiently solve any problems that may arise during a flight with the aircraft/crew or passengers and also ensure they deliver excellent customer service. I also train new starts in the classroom, as well as refresher courses all crew must do every year. This includes ensuring all crew understand and can demonstrate safety procedures through exams, mock drills and practical training. I am a specialised First Aid trainer for Edinburgh so I also deliver first aid courses ensuring crew can diagnose and treat any illness onboard with the resources we have available. This can be anything from a nose bleed to CPR.

What were the best bits about your course?
The teachers! After initially starting college on the Travel & Tourism course some of the students including myself had expressed an interest in becoming cabin crew, the teachers then announced that they would be introducing an introduction to cabin crew course that we could enroll on in our second year!

I was taught great interview skills that definitely helped me during the interview process for jet2. I was prepared for not only the types of one to one questions that were asked but also for the math’s and English exams airlines ask you to do and also what the interviewers were looking for during group exercises.

The initial 5 week training course you have with an airline is quite intense; you have numerous exams every day and have to take a lot in very quickly. Learning ‘airline jargon’ at college definitely helped with my initial course because I knew what the trainers were talking about and could pick things up quicker! Also because I had learnt a lot at college about various procedures nothing was brand new to me, I had a good idea what each subject being taught was about, giving me a great head start and making the 5 weeks training a little less daunting!

Why did you choose your course?
I initially enrolled on the Travel and Tourism course with the idea of wanting to be an over sea’s holiday rep. After learning more about the industry and being introduced to the ‘life of cabin crew’ from my teacher Amanda Relihan who had formally worked for an airline, I was instantly excited about the thought of being crew and wanted to learn as much as I could until I turned 18 and could apply for a job.

Why did you choose Lancaster & Morecambe College?
Being from Barrow–in–Furness, Lancaster & Morecambe College was an exciting opportunity to go to a different town and meet new people and feel more independent. The college was also offering the Travel & Tourism course and after attending an open day and meeting the other students and teachers, everyone was so friendly and welcoming it was decided that this would be where I would study.

What would you say to someone who was thinking about doing the course?
Go for it! The Travel and Tourism course can take you in many different directions, but completing the Cabin Crew course at college before you begin your training for an airline helps massively, you will feel confident and well equipped to complete the 5 week course and pass all exams with flying colours!

Anything else you would like to tell us?
I started college with an interest in travel and meeting new people and it’s taken me in an amazing direction. I have now lived in Edinburgh for 6 years and even though moving to the city at 18 was hard at first it’s the best thing I ever did. I have met the most amazing friends and have lots of brilliant memories.

If you are interested in becoming cabin crew airlines tend to start recruiting between September and December, if you visit an airlines website they will have links to their recruitment pages. Jet2 is a great airline to work for and we have bases all around the UK. Our recruitment page can be found at jet2careers.com/cabin-crew

University attending: 

BSc (Hons) Sports Coaching degree at University of Central Lancashire in Preston

What have you done since College?
After completing my college course, I went to UCLan to study Sport Coaching.

What were the best bits about your course?
The work was fun and the tutors were all helpful. I loved working with the schools, particularly the practical sessions with the younger children.

Why did you choose Lancaster & Morecambe College?
I wanted to meet new people and get away from the area where I lived and went to school.

How did LMC help you to get to where you are today?
My tutors gave me a lot of support in helping me with my university application.

What would you say to someone who was thinking about doing the same course?
100% go for it! The course offers so many great opportunities - it’s a life changing experience.

What are your plans for the future?
I would really like to either start my own business getting sponsorships for university and college sports teams or go on to a PGCE and eventually teaching PE.

Anything else you would like to tell us?
Just a big thank you to all the Sports staff at College - I wouldn’t be where I am today without coming to LMC.