When working at Haven, not a day goes by where I don’t put the skills College taught me to use. I have my tutors to thank for believing in me and helping me achieve the position I’m in today.

The College has always been a great place for learning resources, I’ve always enjoyed going into College even though I wasn’t ever academically inclined. Whenever I’ve needed to gain any qualifications in my life, LMC has always ticked all the boxes.

While playing video games has been a fun part of the course, so far I would say my favourite part has been the opportunity to look in-depth into the world of gaming and how the sports industry is rapidly adjusting to making video game play a key area of the industry. I’ve also enjoyed the opportunity to learn about the business side of Esports as it has given me more of a ‘behind the scenes’ insight into gaming.

The Business & Enterprise Level 3 course kickstarted my career more than I could have ever imagined. I gained so much from the course; knowledge, self-discipline, confidence, and I learnt so much about the industry.

The trips were amazing, we visited universities for competitions and campus tours, attended careers fairs, completed teamwork days at places such as Lancaster Escape Rooms and Great Tower and were even given opportunities to travel abroad. Our course offered international trips to Disneyland Paris and the opportunity to undertake a two-week, all expenses paid, work placement in Italy!

It was a no brainer for me, the course gave me the opportunity to focus directly on a career I wanted to pursue, as well as play football every day competing at a very high standard.

I would recommend this course if you know you want a sport related career, even if you aren’t sure which area of sport specifically. The course explores many different aspects of sports and by developing an understanding of each topic you start to discover which area of sport suits you best.

It has given me the chance to learn professional skills without being overburdened by the pressures expected in a full-time role. I’ve enjoyed not being too worried about being slow or making mistakes because I have had access to regular support from both my employer and the College.

With an Apprenticeship, you are learning all the time. It gives you fantastic experience in the working world and the hands-on training gives you a real chance to put your skills into practice. An Apprenticeship really helps you to gain confidence in a working environment.

To anyone thinking about starting an Apprenticeship I would say it’s a great idea. My Apprenticeship is allowing me to expand my industry knowledge and is helping me learn which job roles in the industry I’m best suited to. It is also helping me draw a clearer understanding of whether I want my next step to be university, or if I would like to continue with full time employment.

Enrolling and completing the Operational Department Manager Level 5 Apprenticeship has significantly developed my leadership and management skills. I now feel confident using the tools and skills that I have learnt to benefit the day-to-day running within my organisation. Theories and models that I have been taught are now common practice in my skillset as a manager, which subsequently mean I can better support all my staff and the future of my organisation.

The best part of my course has been the placement opportunities, there are so many places in the local area that offer amazing placements and I’ve been lucky enough to work with three separate employers – they have all been brilliant!