An apprentice joiner – who studied for a NQ Carpentry and Joinery at Forth Valley College – hopes to inspire more women into traditional male oriented jobs.
Iona Hewlett (20) from Sauchie studied her NQ course at the Alloa Campus, but will now be completing her Modern Apprenticeship at the FVC Stirling Campus after nailing down a MA at Marshall Construction Ltd.
Marshall Construction LTD is a multi-skilled construction company that offers many services such as maintenance, alterations, refurbishments, extensions and new build projects for industrial, retail, commercial and public body clients. They also specialise in occupied environments in which they offer a 365 day emergency service to clients.
Iona, said: “My job role consists of aiding and assisting in joinery tasks such as fire door inspections and fixings which are my tasks at the moment.
“The NQ Carpentry course was such a good experience. I had so much fun and learned loads of new things and it made me realise how much I wanted to be a joiner. If Forth Valley College hadn’t given me the chance to study, I wouldn’t be where I am today, in my dream job.
“The facilities and the lecturers at the college are excellent. All the facilities you could ever need are available for students. The lectures were amazing. Andrew Hilton and Ross Moore went above and beyond to help myself and other students. They do what they can to teach everybody in different ways so that everyone has an equal chance to learn.
“My Learner Development Worker Wendy Kellock was also very helpful to me over the past year. Whenever I was panicking about my CV or interviews, she was there and was such a great help and gave me the confidence boost I needed.
“I would recommend the Pre-Apprenticeship and Modern Apprenticeship programmes at FVC to other people as the College is full of amazing opportunities and any support you may not even know you will need.
“The best bit for me was definitely using the College Construction workshops. The Construction Pre-Apprenticeship and the NQ Carpentry course is a load of work, keeps you busy and it’s a lot of fun.
“The advice I would give to a potential new student at Forth Valley College would be to seize the opportunity, pay attention and enjoy college while you can because it’ll be over before you know it.”
Andy Flaws, Contract Manager at Marshall Construction, said: “We at Marshall Construction are very proud to develop the next generation of tradespeople. Iona has embraced the challenge to further her career after successful completion of an NQ in Carpentry and Joinery. As her manager I am delighted to see the impact she has contributed so early in her career and look forward to working and developing the skills for successful completion of her apprenticeship and beyond.”
Graeme Williamson, Curriculum Manager in FVC’s Department of Care, Sport and Construction, said: “We are immensely proud of Iona, coming through the NQ Carpentry and Joinery Course and progressing onto the MA provision, this really highlights our fantastic progression figures. As huge advocates of women in Construction, we hope that highlighting Iona and her journey will inspire other women to get involved in Construction careers. We already have some women within the Painting and Decorating section but we would like to welcome more on to our Construction courses. We think it’s fantastic that Iona impressed Marshall Construction so much to gain a Modern Apprenticeship in Carpentry and Joinery.”