Coming to Fircroft
I arrived at Fircroft in 2023, with very little knowledge of what to expect. However, once I settled in to the Free Thinking course, I found it a wonderful experience. I felt it was a great environment for students – friendly, lots of support and encouragement and I felt the college inspired me to do better. It felt like a home away from home.
The Free Thinking course
The Free Thinking course was an eye-opener. I loved all the learning that we did and it really improved my confidence. The course made me more confident to express myself. Even though I am quite a private person, it made me realise that my opinion and thoughts are as valuable as anyone else’s. There was a wide range of learning on the course – from English language to employment law and maths – and doing all these things with other students really helped us to become friends. A year later I now no longer see them as friends, we are brothers and sisters.
Level 2 Digital Skills for Work course
I then did the Level 2 Digital Skills for Work course and really enjoyed it. Although I am reasonably digitally literate, there were things I learned that would really help me in the workplace such as learning how to do budget spreadsheets, how to create power point presentations, how to plan IT projects, how to write a blog and then publishing my blog on a website.
ICT Systems and Principles course
Having successfully completed the Level 2 Digital Skills for Work, I gained the confidence to enrol onto the Level 3 Certificate in ICT Systems and Principles. This course really excited me and it fully equipped me to apply for IT support jobs. I learned a lot about digital security, how to manage, filter and store data – things that are very important at the moment – as well as what it’s like to be a digital support worker.
Since I completed my Level 3 Certificate in ICT Systems and Principles, I am now a Social Media manager in a local charity, managing the content and uploading posts to 11 different social media accounts. I love my work and find it very rewarding working for a charity.
Next steps
I am still looking for a job in IT support and am particularly keen to work in cyber security, helping an organisation combat the multiple threats to their IT systems. However, while I am waiting for this job I am happy that I can help friends with their computers, which is all practice for me.
I thought it would be impossible for me to enter the world of IT but I have now found out it’s possible. My dreams have turned into reality.
