We caught up with former Public Services student Ben Wells recently and were delighted to hear that he was now working with Oasis Academy as a Student Engagement Officer.
Which programme did you complete at MidKent College? Did you also do English & Maths GCSE?
I studied Public Services Level 3, however I did not need to do English and maths GCSE at college as I already had my qualifications.
Did you have an idea of what career/degree you wanted to do when you started the programme? What made you choose MidKent College and this particular subject area?
I chose MidKent College as I wanted a change from the type of education system I was in. I chose MidKent College over any other college as I felt it was better for me as a person and was very easy to get too.
What did you think of your tutors, the facilities, the support available?
The tutors were very supportive and you could tell that they actually cared about you and the work that you were doing, helping you to achieve the highest grade possible. If you ever needed to talk to a teacher about classwork or problems in your personal life, they were always there to help.
What do you do in your job and how has College helped you prepare for work?
In my job I am in charge of making sure the students are engaging in their class and with their peers during break. I am also the eyes and ears for the school making sure everyone's doing what they are meant to be doing. Another thing we do is make sure the teachers are teaching the students in an engaging manner.
Would you recommend the programme and/or College to other students, if so why?
I would recommend MidKent College as I feel it prepares you for life outside of education better than school. The college also takes a different approach when teaching, which I feel is more engaging to students. How you learn at college makes it easier to start work – you are studying towards a specific job.
Public services was a very enjoyable course with a lot of discipline - being well disciplined helped us with our behaviour and also helps in a job interview as you come across more confidently.
Our course had teachers from multiple different public services so we had a really varied view of the kinds of jobs available. This really helped us prepare for our future careers in the services.
Unlike school, MidKent College also covers the practical aspects of a subject rather than just academic meaning you have experience whilst having fun during learning. This helped us increase focus in class which meant we achieved higher grades.
Mark Lampard, Head of Department for Sport & Public Sevices said "Congratulations to Ben, we were really pleased to hear about his new job. He worked really hard during his time at college at both the academic and practical parts of the programme and this has really paid off for him. We wish him every success for the future."
