Zero to hero!
I hadn’t done any watersports before the course – I mean I could barely swim! So, I learnt how to swim and completely threw myself into the course. It was completely different to anything I had done before. I’ve never been a fan of the classroom and so didn’t want to do A-levels – I prefer to keep moving as much as I can!
The best thing about the course were the practical days. They were so much fun and yeah, the instructors made it so enjoyable. The coursework was fine and the teachers were really nice and always helpful and the two-week work experience in year one gave a real insight into how a company operates. You understand more about the industry and job role more and what it entails because it's not just teaching - there's a lot more that goes on.
Real-life learning
The land sessions that we have to lead during our practical sessions at college really prepared us for what it is really like working for an outdoor company which was really helpful. Not only did I gain my RYA Dinghy and Windsurf Instructor qualifications as a result, but it really prepared me real-life situations and for what I am doing now which is working at Poole Park Lake, which I really like! I feel I’ve been given a lot of responsibility and I like that I am able to use my qualifications. The college diploma course and company give you loads of opportunity to get more qualifications which is really great. I'm hoping to sort of stay on as long as I can get some more experience during the winter, whether that's the internship or more instructor qualifications such as my RYA Senior Instructor qualification.
The future...
I would definitely recommend Rockley College - it's so much fun, probably the most enjoyable job and course around! And Rockley is a great company to work for. Everyone's really nice and everyone knows each other – you’re not just another staff member which is good. Everything I do is a step closer to getting to where I want to be in my career, which is to run my own centre - so yeah, it’s all good!