Studying for a Foundation Apprenticeship in Business Skills helped former Bo’ness Academy pupil Cameron Aitken stand out from the rest and land a job with the Scottish Government.
Cameron (19) from Bo’ness, said: “Upon acceptance of my full time job as a Business and Finance Officer in the Scottish Government, I asked the recruiting manager what made them hire me. The response I got was that it was my dedication to further my knowledge and skills in school and the additional experience I had over every other candidate. Without the FA on my application I would have been just another applicant, but my CV stood out in the pile.
“During my senior years in high school I had decided that Business was my passion and I wanted a career in this field upon graduation. I wanted to get as much experience to help better my chances at getting a full time job, so I decided the Business Skills Foundation Apprenticeship would be the best chance for my career development.
“Whilst attending at Stirling Campus I had an excellent relationship with my lecturers, who I was able to get support from any time I required. One of my lecturers even went the extra step and assisted me in my application for my first job, as well as having a mock interview with me. Without the amazing support from my lecturers I wouldn’t have landed my job.
"Currently I am working on Digital Health for the Covid-19 Vaccinations Programme. FVC helped me gain my full time role due to all the unique skills I learned within the first year of the course, as well as all the help I got from my lecturers. Without attending this course I do not think I would have been as successful as I am right now.
“I would recommend the College to anyone who wants to enter the Business field in either the private or public sectors, due to the in depth knowledge and skills I learned whilst attending this course. The FA made my application stand out and made me different and memorable, which is exactly what you need when applying right out of school.
“My favourite bit whilst attending FVC would honestly be getting free periods and time out of school to learn things I was interested in. I got the full support of my high school to drop one of my subjects to focus more on the FA, which helped my development. Other than that my best bit of the FA was getting new support and making contacts.
“My advice would simply be to go for it. If you are considering it you are already on the right track to be successful in life, so attend the course and give it your all. If you apply yourself to the FA course you will 100% end up in a positive position at the end of it, whether that be in a job or moving onto a further qualification.”