STUDENT VOICE AUTUMN 2016 | Page 37

Chiang Rai. After this I went backpacking round Southern Thailand and then left to go to Australia. “When I returned to the UK it was summer time, so I finished off my travels with one last summer in Ibiza. Before applying for this apprenticeship I was working as a Barista Maestro in Costa Coffee.” Catriona is delighted to be working with Ayrshire College and the Ayrshire College Foundation, and we’re delighted to have her! Declan ICT Declan has always been into computers, in fact he previously studied at the Kilmarnock Campus on the HNC Software Development course. Now he’s working with the ICT Team at the College on a two-year apprenticeship, and he said “I’ve always been keen to work with computers so I thought I’d try to get a career out of it. “I’ve fitted into the team quite nicely, my colleagues are brilliant and we work well together.” “I’d been working odd jobs; working in a factory for a while and working at Pizza Hut. Once I heard about this job, I took a look at it and liked what I saw, so applied.” “I think the apprenticeship route is the fastest and best way to achieve the career I want. An apprenticeship gives me experience - I won’t be sitting in a classroom all the time unable to put my knowledge into practice” Declan has been in the job for two months now and it’s been a hectic period for his team, with staff and students moving into the new Kilmarnock Campus on Hill Street. Declan Mitchell is also 22 years old and joins us on an ICT Apprenticeship as a previous student at the College. Declan’s sister had a big part to play in him landing his apprenticeship. She works in recruitment and when Ayrshire College’s information pack for the ICT Apprenticeship popped into her inbox, she was straight onto Declan to apply. THE STUDENT VOICE EDITION 7 Declan said “I’ve been putting all the required software onto the new laptops and computers. I’ve probably worked on around 680 of them so far. Now we’re into the new campus I’m getting everyone’s computers sorted.” We wish Catriona and Declan the best of luck in their new roles! 37