A first year Modern Apprentice Joiner has found a new groove for himself at Forth Valley College while learning his trade.
Aaron Swainson (17) from Callander, who works for Kings Joiners and Manufacturers, is loving his studies two days a week at the Stirling Campus, but has also taken on responsibility as Class Rep on the FVC Student Council .
He said: “I am really enjoying it and I think it will be good for me a positive thing to have on my CV in the future.
“I am also really loving my MA and it is quite good to be working in great facilities with different lecturers who each have different skills and expertise to pass on and learn from. This allows me to get the best of both worlds as I work hard with Kings on site for three days of the week.
“No one in the class was keen to go for the role of Class Rep, but everyone was keen for me to volunteer and I think that it is a good responsibility to take on and I was happy to do so.
“The training I will receive as Class Rep will also greatly enhance my own skills and I will pick up new ones along the way. There will be training in assertiveness and self-confidence, speaking in public, time management, leadership and diplomacy, rapport building and networking, teamwork and communication skills and all these thing will be very useful for me as I progress in my career. I would definitely recommend it to other students.”
Irene Kane, FVC Business Development Partner, who supports the group of apprentices Aaron studies with, said: “It was during a recent review that I was doing with Aaron that I found out that he was standing as a class rep. I was so pleased to hear this as Aaron was quite nervous when he first came to College and wasn’t sure how he would fit in. He has come on in leaps and bounds and it is so rewarding for Aaron’s lecturers and myself to see someone build in confidence like this. I am sure he will be a great ambassador for Modern Apprentices on the Student Council.”