Modern Apprentices of a more mature vintage are making their move into trades they have longed to make a career of.
And Forth Valley College are only too happy to help them fulfil their goals and during Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2024 - #scotappweek24 - are highlighting three older lads who started their MA in Joinery in January 2024, in the same class.
Bryan Bremner (51) who works for Edinmore, Chris Hardy (35) who works for Pro Build Scotland and John Lamb (31) who works for Historic Environment Scotland were delighted to help us celebrate Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2024 by posing for a photograph.
John (31), from Tranent a former labourer, said: “I wanted to change career and pick the thing I have wanted to do since I was 18 or 19 years of age – joinery. I had some family members who were involved in that trade and an opportunity arose for me to become an Apprentice and I accepted. I am definitely enjoying it, but I regret not doing it sooner. I would recommend it to anyone. The facilities are good and the lecturers have a lot of patience and even though the three of us are a wee bit older, we are fitting in well with the 16 and 17 year-olds, who show us some respect at what we have done.”
Bryan (51) from Grangemouth, a former offshore oil and gas employee, said: “I was working away from home and then came back to work as a skilled labourer with Edinmore, when the opportunity came up to progress to being an Apprentice joiner. I was apprehensive at first, thinking I might be too old and stuck in my ways, but honestly it has been absolutely great. My advice to anyone a little older thinking about doing it, would be to grab the opportunity with both hands, as you only live once – go for it.”
Chris (35) from Linlithgow, a former metal worker, said: “I remember being a labourer for a joiner when I first left school. I worked at other things as well including as a metal plating worker and thought I had missed the boat for a trade. I joined another company and the opportunity arose for me to become a MA joiner with Pro Build Scotland. It really is the best thing I have done and I now have goals to achieve, even at this stage of my life. It’s brilliant.”