Student stories

Alex Doncses

FdA Event Management

His foundation degree brought Alex back to education for the first time in more than 20 years. Age 40, he lived in Vienna for 15 years where he worked in the events industry, but then moved to the UK and took a job in the construction industry.

He said: “It just wasn’t me. So I went to a careers advisor at the college and looked at what I’d done before and what I liked doing, and this course came out. Although I have a lot of experience, in this day and age everybody is looking for a qualification.”

Doing the course brought Alex back to education and enabled him to turn his experience into a qualification, as well as developing his IT skills.

He said: “I found it really good, having not been in education since I was a kid, it was good to get guided and because it was a small group you could ask questions.”

After completing the course, Alex went on to top up his foundation degree to an honours degree at Coventry University. Now he has moved into financial trading and is taking a two-month course for a company which he then hopes to work for, based in Canary Wharf in London.

He added: “Being at college has really motivated me. Once I have been doing this for a couple of years I would really like to move back to Vienna, where my family is, and set up a trading school. I will still continue trading, but also teach it.”

Lucy Bulmer

FdA Event Management

Lucy, from Byfield in Oxfordshire came to college after doing A levels. She said: “I chose Warwickshire College because it was the best college for the course I wanted to do. The atmosphere at college is nice, It’s very mature – for me it’s more like a university than a sixth form.

“I knew what course I wanted, but I didn’t want to go to university because I didn’t want to get into all the debt.”

As part of their course all students are expected to do a work placement. Lucy has been based in the Marketing department of Warwickshire College.

She explained: “It’s been absolutely invaluable. Everything I have done in the office I have never tried before. Just being in an office environment, and talking to people at the level of colleagues was a new experience. It’s given me a lot more confidence and I have learned skills I could carry on to other jobs.”

Speaking about the course, she added: “It was challenging but good, and I really liked the lectures, they taught me a lot, and the lecturers are really friendly There are a variety of assessments – not just exams. Normally if you’re not good at exams it’s a problem, but this course gives everyone a fair opportunity.”

As well as and exams, students are assessed through written work, Powerpoint presentations and two events which they have to organise themselves. Lucy, who would eventually like to run her own business, is continuing at Warwickshire College to do a top-up course in Strategic Business Management, which will lead to her graduating with a full degree.