Mature student Daniel Garczarek (47) completed a HND Computing: Technical Support course at Forth Valley College, which helped him land a job providing IT support at a local school.
Daniel, from Westquarter, Falkirk, said: “Forth Valley College gave me the education and qualifications needed to start new career, which was not an easy feat given my age and lack of experience of being in a Scottish educational establishment. Having lecturers with not only academic, but also real-life experience of working in IT, was a massive difference and helped me choose my first job and career path.”
He went on: “I decided to study at Forth Valley College as it was the nearest college that was offering the course of my choice – and as a father of a primary-school aged child, it was important for me to be able to do school runs.
“I can’t say one bad thing about lecturers, they were fantastic and always willing to help. Of course I liked some of them better than other ones, but that’s just natural. Since my course was run through the Covid pandemic, a big chunk of my education was delivered remotely. Despite spending numerous hours in Teams meetings, I felt we really did connect with our lecturers.
“I would recommend the College and the course to other people interested in this sector as HND Tech Support is the fastest and shortest path to start a career in IT. There are other courses available – such as software development and Cyber security - but usually they require you to continue the studies at the university to have a chance at employment.
“The best bit for me was opening the envelope to reveal my qualifications certificate, but there were good facilities, great lecturers and not a bad cafeteria, what more do you need?”