Nathan advances his career with great English and maths results

: Created: 13 September 2018

The 17-year-old from Croydon was given a conditional offer when he first came to the College to study for his Engineering Level 2 NVQ Diploma. Success depended very much on his attaining good GCSE results in the core subjects of English and maths which he was able to study in tandem with his course.

Nathan said: “Prior to coming to this College, I was completely lost. I didn’t have the best of attitudes when I was at school and looking back, I totally wasted the whole opportunity. I could have and should have done much better - particularly in the subjects that really mattered.

“Here, I’ve been given a second chance, and from the outset, I’ve fully embraced everything offered to me. That has included the extra English and maths sessions, the fantastic teaching and resources, and the amazing set of facilities in the College’s Technology Centre.

“My English teacher Finn was awesome. She made studying English language fun and used a lot of motivational techniques to engage the class. I received a grade 6 (B) in a subject that I previously had no interest in at all.”

This week, Nathan attended an interview for an Apprentice Customer Services Engineer for Openreach. This was the last stage in a prolonged interview process that attracted hundreds of applicants. Today, Nathan was given the news that he had hoped for - he’d succeeded!

Brimming with pride and a real sense of achievement, Nathan continued: “This is a major step towards my career goal as a communications and IT engineer. I’d like to follow this by becoming a manager in the telecommunications industry one day soon.

“None of this would have been possible if I hadn’t made a promise to myself to knuckle down, work hard and focus on becoming a success. This is just the beginning for me and I’d like to thank this College for helping me on my way.”

Nathan’s English teacher Finn Devers said: “I’m so happy that Nathan has found an opening in the industry of his choice. I know that if he puts the same amount of effort and concentration into his apprenticeship as he did in working towards his GCSEs last year, he will go far. This definitely goes to show that good communication and calculation skills open doors for young sparks.”

If you are considering enrolling on a course at London South East Colleges and would like to improve your GCSE core subjects (English or Maths) results, come and see us now. We are still enrolling at our Bromley, Bexley and Greenwich campuses. Learn more.