Claire Taylor
Claire is the Founder and CEO of SimplyVAT.com, a company specialising in international VAT. She studied Government and Political Studies and Economics A-Level at Nescot from 1981 to 1984, followed by a further year of a post A-Level secretarial course.
“I had completed my O Levels at a local school, but my grades weren’t strong enough to make me a popular choice for staying on at the sixth form. Nescot, however, felt like a welcoming place to continue my education and pursue my A-Levels.”
Claire said that while qualifications are important, she felt that she benefitted most from the practical skills that she gained on the post A-Level secretarial course which enabled her to find work and support herself in a multitude of interesting job roles around the world.
“Nescot was a great adventure at the age of 16. I mixed with so many new people from varied backgrounds and cultures, and I loved it! Looking back, I realise how accepting Nescot was of students with different abilities. The breadth of courses was incredible and delivered to a high standard. As someone who wasn’t naturally academic, I found the environment supportive and encouraging. I’m very glad I stayed on to complete the Post A-Level secretarial course.”
In 1996, Claire moved to Brighton and worked as an assistant to the MD of an international VAT recovery company. As the company grew, she became Head of Client Management and later helped launch a sister company focused on data analysis. These experiences eventually led her to establish her own business, Simply VAT%, which prides itself on industry-leading customer services as a trusted partner to over 1,800 brands across 30 countries.
“I’ve built a vibrant, diverse team of 75 professionals from varied backgrounds, cultures, and learning styles. Together, we live our brand values: honesty, compassion, collaboration, creativity, and—most importantly—having fun and being happy in our work.”
On a recent visit to Nescot, Claire was amazed at how much it has expanded since her time at the college. “I was excited to see the variety of vocational courses now available, ranging from farming to getting students to think about how to use technology in assisted living support research.”
Claire added,
“I love learning, and I feel fortunate to live in a country with access to such quality institutions such as Nescot that truly care about their students. The possibilities are endless, no matter your skill set or abilities, take time to find your niche, discover the course that suits you, and don’t let your qualifications define you. My advice to future students—go for it—you can’t go wrong. Nescot is a supportive and fun environment.”
Roseanne Myhill
Founder and Director of her marketing agency, Roseanne chose Nescot as it was practical, local and offered the exact course she needed to develop her career in marketing.
Roseanne is Founder and Director as well as “chief cook and bottle washer” of her own marketing agency, which has evolved out of freelancing following a career break.
Roseanne studied at Nescot from 1997-1999. She was working in the Group Marketing Department at Legal & General in Kingswood, and was encouraged by her director to take her CIM (Chartered Institute of Marketing) exams to help further her career. She chose to study at Nescot as the evening classes enabled her to fit study around her full-time job.
“Studying at Nescot was a practical and easy option for me, it offered the exact course I needed to develop my career in marketing, it was local to where I live and the course took place in the evening, so I wasn’t missing time from work,” said Roseanne.
She explained that even though she was already pursing her career when she studied at Nescot, the tutor gave them an insight into the wider working world and the additional possibilities that would be open to them once they gained their qualifications.
She added, that she met some really good friends, who she’s kept in touch with after the course. “We were all able to share our experience of marketing within our workplaces which were all very different but all with a common theme.”
On a recent visit to the college, Roseanne was positively surprised by the range of courses available.
“Why not visit Nescot at an Open Day to see what the college could offer you? The image that you can only learn trades at Nescot is so far off the mark now.
“Nescot is so much more than learning to be a hairdresser, beautician, plumber or electrician. The fine art plasterwork would be right at home in a stately home. The expansion of the motor workshop to work on electric cars is ensuring students are equipped for the EV future that we’re all heading towards. And everyone still needs plumbers, electricians, and hairdressers day in day out, week in week out. An amazing place and it needs to be shouted from the rooftops.
“I think it’s a huge achievement to reach 70 years of offering learning opportunities in so many different sectors and the recent roll out of new courses will strengthen the offering for years to come.”
Roseanne’s marketing agency, RHG Marketing Communications specialises in working with growing companies who need marketing support. They also offer social media training and management.
Professor Robin Shattock
An internationally-renowned scientist who pioneered a new generation of medical technology has described studying at Nescot as a ‘turning point’ in his life.
Professor Robin Shattock led work at Imperial College London to develop a Covid-19 vaccine in 2020, and his team’s findings could be extended beyond vaccines to other types of medicine.
He told Nescot that science is ‘on the cusp of something revolutionary’ and spoke of his pride at being involved in what he said was the most exciting part of his career so far.
“This is the next generation of technology,” he said. “It works for other aspects of medicines where we want to encode a protein, so the potential is enormous.
“It is incredibly exciting. When I was in the early stages of my career I never would have imagined that I would be part of something like this.”
Professor Shattock studied at Nescot in his twenties, starting with an HND in Microbiology and progressing to specialise in Immunology. He finished his degree with a First.
“Nescot was great for me because it allowed me to forge an alternative career path,” Professor Shattock said. “I was able to study later in life, and that was definitely a turning point for me.
“I feel sure that if I’d taken the conventional route to university I would have come away with a Third, and I probably wouldn’t even be working in science.”
Professor Shattock has developed a way of sending highly-specific instructions to the immune system using genetic code called self-amplifying RNA, or saRNA.
This means only tiny doses of vaccine are needed to create immunity, which means vaccines could be cheaper and faster to produce, theoretically reducing vaccine inequality across the world.
Professor Shattock has set up a company called VaxEquity, which last year signed a deal with AstraZeneca worth £195million in milestones to work on up to 26 new drugs.
“In terms of the global response to Covid-19, vaccine equality is something we have not done well,” Professor Shattock. “I’m hopeful that this technology will help to change that for the future.”
Professor Shattock has been involved vaccine research for more than three decades, leading and coordinating the pan-European effort to develop an HIV vaccine as well as working on Ebola, rabies, influenza and chlamydia.
In early 2019 he gave a talk at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on new vaccine technology and how it could be used in a pandemic.
“Very few people turned up,” he said. “Scientists had been predicting a new pandemic for a decade already, and there was a sense that not many people believed it would actually happen.”
Later the same year he was working on saRNA research when he and his team started hearing about a new type of Coronavirus circulating in China.
“I remember saying to two post-doctoral students, ‘Shall we start working on a vaccine?’, and one of them said, ‘No, this will be a flash in the pan’,” he recalled.
“The genetic sequence of what went on to be named Covid-19 was published on January 10, and we had a vaccine candidate within 14 days.”
Professor Shattock’s research was given £50million by the UK government, which at that point was nervous about being able to access vaccines and wanted to be sure that there was a British candidate.
“It was intense,” he said. “We had to work quickly, and we were under a lot of pressure. It was unknown what would happen internationally, and I wanted to be sure we had a strong candidate.”
The Imperial candidate did not go on to be used as a vaccine, but both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines use RNA technology, which Professor Shattock described as ‘really exciting’.
“Our team was definitely challenged by not having a large pharmaceutical company behind us at that time,” he said.
“It’s really exciting that the RNA technology has been proven on such a large scale. No one had had much success before this – Moderna and Pfizer had both been working on the technology for years.”
Professor Shattock is hopeful that RNA or saRNA can be used to develop an HIV vaccine, which he describes as ‘one of the biggest scientific challenges of a generation’.
He said: “We’ve got a long way to go, but yes I am very hopeful that it will happen within my lifetime.”
Professor Shattock said he is hoping that one unexpected positive to come from the pandemic will be an increase in people studying science.
“Hopefully the vaccine development process has helped people to see that science is relevant, current, exciting, and can change people’s lives,” he said.
“My advice to anyone planning a career is: Find something that really interests you. That will be different for everyone, so don’t compare yourself.
“Careers are made by opportunities, so seize them where you can. Never feel that because you haven’t gone the traditional way that your achievements or progress is any lesser than anyone else’s.”
Professor Shattock enjoyed acting and music at school, and dreamt of being a rock star. His A-Levels in Biology, Physics and Chemistry went badly, he said, and afterwards he took a series of odd jobs.
Eventually he joined what was then Guildford Public Health Laboratory as a research assistant, feeling sure that he was the only candidate for the job.
“I remember saying to my wife, ‘I can’t stay here. The work is so difficult, and everyone is so serious’,” Professor Shattock recalled. “Eventually something clicked, and it all started making sense.”
From there he studied at Nescot, initially doing an HND in Microbiology on day release and then specialising in Immunology for his degree.
“Nescot was a fun place to be,” he said. “Immunology in particular was extremely well taught, the teachers were responsive, and the environment was really stimulating.
“I left with a solid grasp of different aspects of immunology, and also a fundamental understanding of research that informed my career from there.”
After studying at Nescot, Professor Shattock took a job at St George’s Hospital Medical School. He was working there when the first UK cases of HIV were recognised, and he helped to set up a specialist research laboratory.
He worked there for 21 years, working towards a PhD and then becoming a Professor, before moving to Imperial College London in 2010.
Joe Wicks
oe Wicks, who is now a household name as a fitness coach, presenter and author, as well as the ‘nation’s PE teacher’, studied a National Diploma at Nescot in 2002.
It was the first time he’d studied nutrition, and the first time he’d learnt about sports as a business, as well as his first opportunity to study exercise and fitness in-depth.
Former Nescot student Joe Wicks has spoken about his experiences of studying Sport at the college, crediting Nescot with ‘inspiring’ him and changing his outlook.
Joe, who is now a household name as a fitness coach, presenter and author, as well as the ‘nation’s PE teacher’, studied a National Diploma at Nescot in 2002.
It was the first time he’d studied nutrition, and the first time he’d learnt about sports as a business, as well as his first opportunity to study exercise and fitness in-depth.
“I’ve got great memories of Nescot – I loved my time there,” he said. “Nescot started me on my journey to education.
“The college helped me to grow and mature, and to be more independent as a learner. I had to show up, and be accountable.”
Joe chose Nescot because he wanted a different environment from school, and he wanted to focus on one subject.
“I knew doing a National Diploma would be more practical, and I was really drawn to that side of learning,” he said.
“It definitely made me enjoy learning more, because I was doing practical lessons and studying a subject I really loved. I still remember doing case studies about businesses, and projects on nutrition.
Joe spoke about his experience in the Sports department at Nescot, where students often play in football academies, or compete in regional or national contests in disciplines from cricket to athletics.
“You were always around really awesome footballers, for example,” he said. “It was inspiring to be around people who were athletes, and training in their kits. I remember being inspired by it.”
Joe has spoken openly about his upbringing on a council estate in Epsom, and said he feels passionately about the value of education and how it can transform lives.
He said his mother worked hard to bring up her three sons, but she had started her family as a teenager and didn’t know a lot about healthy eating. Joe’s father was in and out of his life.
Joe said he is driven by a passion to help and inspire young people and their families to live healthy lifestyles, including making it feel accessible to eat healthy food and to exercise.
He said he hopes his success can show people that they are not necessarily bound by the circumstances they have been born into.
“Wherever you’ve come from you can go on to change your life and other people’s lives and to be positive,” he said. “Self-belief is really important.”
He said his advice to students of all ages is to keep a sense of perspective on their education.
“I’ve visited places like Sierra Leone, where a lot of people don’t have access to education, so we need to appreciate the opportunities we have,” he said.
“Be present in the moment and enjoy your learning, try your best and get the most out of it – whatever you’re studying.”
He also advised people of all ages who are struggling with planning or developing their careers to focus on their talents and interests.
“I know it’s a cliché, but the minute you do something you love everything changes,” he said.
“I wasn’t always the best student, but when I found my passion for fitness and training people that’s when I really became ambitious and focussed.
“It’s important to have perspective, because it takes a long time to be successful. People who are successful have worked hard and built it from the ground up.
“No one gets anything for free, so whether you’re a plumber or a personal trainer you’ve got to graft and keep your foot on the gas, because if you slow down the business slows down.
“I think resilience is the most important thing to learn for any career. Whatever you’re doing you need to be consistent and patient and you can’t give up.”
Joe also spoke about working towards new skills and qualifications as an adult, and said the current climate offers a wealth of opportunities.
“It’s never too late to change direction,” he said. “Don’t be afraid to do something different, because life is amazing when you do new things and challenge yourself – that’s when you feel most alive.
“I would rather be earning no money and be in a job I love than be miserable and in the same job forever.
“Now is the perfect time to be innovative and to be an entrepreneur. There’s social media to market things, and you can build a brand for yourself.”
Joe originally planned to train as a PE teacher, but realised it wasn’t the right career for him, and then took an additional qualification as a personal fitness instructor.
He started using social media to build a brand as The Body Coach, branching out into a series of best-selling cookery books as well as presenting.
In March he started running live daily exercise sessions called PE With Joe as a way of keeping children active during the Coronavirus lockdown, and said it is his most important achievement in his career.
Streamed via YouTube, the videos have been viewed more than 60 million times in eight weeks, earning him a Guinness World Record.
He has donated his entire earnings of more than £150,000 to NHS Charities Together, as well as a further £200,000 from selling branded T-shirts.
“Donating the money felt like the right thing to do. It’s a community raising money for the community, which is wonderful,” Joe said.
“The more the numbers grew the more I thought, I don’t want people to think I’m doing this for financial gain because that is not my intention.
“I decided to donate it, and to announce it right away so it was transparent. I love doing PE With Joe. I love to know that people are enjoying it and feeling motivated and uplifted.
Yvonne Spencer
Yvonne Spencer joined the government’s Animal and Plant Health Agency in 1984, and is now Director of Science Transformation, which includes leading on the science specifications for the multi-billion pound programme for new biocontainment animal and laboratory facilities in Weybridge.
Yvonne Spencer joined the government’s Animal, Plant and Health Agency (APHA) after her science A-Levels, starting as an Assistant Scientific Officer lab technician in Pathology. She aspired to be a scientist, so had to navigate timetable and stereotype clashes at school to study science instead of home economics and typing, which were expected of girls at the time. Yvonne joined Nescot in 1984, initially studying a two-year BTEC HNC in Applied Biology on a day release basis, and later studying Cellular Pathology in the evenings for a further for two years. She excelled in class, and enjoyed applying her knowledge at work, alongside developing her laboratory techniques and research skills. She later returned to study for a degree in Immunology over four years, finishing with First Class BSc (Hons). She was the first person in her family to earn a degree, and set a new target for technicians in the Pathology Department in APHA at that time.
“I really liked the way the courses at Nescot were structured, and how it all worked with my job,” Yvonne said. “I particularly valued being able to learn the theory and practical concepts at college, practise in their laboratories, and then being able to apply my knowledge immediately at work. It was a very effective way to learn – and was essentially a modern-day apprenticeship. The lectures were thorough and detailed, and focussed on developing my analytical and research skills as well as fundamental microbiology and lab techniques. Once I started my immunology degree there was a lot more self-directed study required to develop deep specialist knowledge, analyse scientific publications, hypothesis and data presentation. That was excellent preparation for the next part of my career, as it helped me converse more confidently with the vets and other professionals.”
From there, Yvonne began to specialise in important animal diseases such as Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs), a group of diseases which includes BSE. She began leading research and lab diagnostic method development, publishing scientific papers, presenting at conferences, and travelling internationally to other institutes. As her skills such as team working, leadership and communication and resource management increased, she was promoted and led teams of scientists, vets and technicians, and then became Lead Scientist for TSEs and Director of the National and International Reference Laboratory for TSEs. In 2013 she became a senior science leader as Head of Pathology and Animal Sciences Department at APHA, with more than 150 staff and very specialist biocontainment facilities. It was the first time that that this position had been held by a woman, or a scientist without a PhD, who was not a vet, and Yvonne described feeling like a ‘small pioneer’.
In 2020 Yvonne was promoted to the senior civil service, to her current role as Director of Science Transformation at APHA. Her responsibilities include leading on science specifications for the Science Capability in Animal Health Programme, a multibillion-pound redevelopment of the specialist biocontainment animal science and laboratory facilities near Weybridge, Surrey. “It’s a really important project, and I’m really proud to be part of it,” she said. “It’s an exciting opportunity to enable future generations of scientists to work in world class facilities.”
Yvonne said that the advice she gives to people at the start of their careers is to ‘challenge yourself, keep learning and pushing your own potential” she added. “You never know what opportunities will arise, so broaden your network and horizons as you develop new skills. I never in a million years thought I’d get to where I have, when I started out as a lab technician. Getting out of your comfort zone is when you develop the most, and find out what you’re truly capable of.”
Professor Ian Brown
Professor Ian Brown OBE is Director of Scientific Services at the government’s Animal and Plant Health Agency in Weybridge. He is also Director of the International Reference Laboratories, and helps to direct the UK’s response to bird flu. Professor Brown studied Applied Biology and then Immunology at Nescot, graduating in the early 1980s.
Professor Brown got a job as a junior laboratory technician at what is now the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) as a teenager. A condition of his job was that he took a Higher National Diploma at Nescot, so he enrolled on a qualification in Applied Biology in the 1970s, later progressing to a Masters’ Degree in Immunology. From there he took a PhD, and is now an internationally-respected scientist, Director of Scientific Services at APHA, and he leads the UK government’s response to bird flu. He was awarded an OBE for services to animal health and welfare in 2020.
“I really enjoyed the HND at Nescot,” Professor Brown said. “It was a great introduction to all the theory and principles, as well as what to do practically. The labs were much better than other colleges, and the overall learning environment was excellent. The lecturers were enthusiastic and inspiring – they genuinely cared about their students, and wanted the best for them. The HND was a thorough and broad base, and I think that’s an excellent way to start your training.”
After finishing his HND, Professor Brown said he was ‘fed up with studying’. However, under the guidance of his tutors he reconsidered his career plans, and enrolled on an MI Biol, specialising in Immunology. “The lecturers really got me through it,” he said. “I owe a lot to them. I wouldn’t be where I am now without them, because the MI Biol gave me the springboard I needed to do my PhD, so that I could progress my career.”
Professor Brown worked his way up at APHA, and is now Director of Scientific Services, leading more than 1,000 staff and helping to direct the UK response to avian flu, or H5N1. The world is currently going through its worst-ever outbreak, and scientists are working to understand why. Professor Brown is also leading a new research consortium, which brings together eight different institutions in order to help scientists understand more about how to control the spread of the disease. Professor Brown is also Director of APHA’s International Reference Laboratory, which provides expert advice to countries across the globe on how to spot and deal with outbreaks.
“I really enjoy the challenge,” Professor Brown said. “Covid-19 has shown how important it is for countries to work together on surveillance, intelligence and standards of diagnostics, as well as dealing with outbreaks. Avian flu is a major risk for animal health and welfare, but there is also a local and national economic impact as well.”
During the pandemic, Professor Brown helped to pioneer a new way of testing for Covid, using saliva rather than swabs. The so-called LAMP method is simpler, faster and cheaper than PCR tests, and was developed in partnership between APHA, the NHS, the University of Southampton and Southampton City Council. The method was extensively trialled as a community-wide surveillance programme initially, and is still in use by some NHS trusts as a way of checking infection levels in staff. “I was really proud to be involved,” Professor Brown said. “We were able to use our expertise when there was a national need. It was a good example of scientists working together for public health.”
Professor Brown said the career advice he gives to people at the beginning of their professional journey is to ‘start broad’. “Because of my experience at Nescot, I always recommend to people that they get a breath of experience early on,” he said. “From there you can choose to specialise if you want to. If you focus too early on it can end up closing doors to you.” Professor Brown said his career journey is a testament to education. “I started as a junior technician,” he added. “I’m proof that you can come in with O-Levels, and go all the way up. That shows the power of education.”
Robyn
“I’d lost my job, and times were really hard. I knew I could study a Level 2 qualification for free, so I thought I’d give hairdressing a go. I told myself it was no big deal if I didn’t like it – and now I’m working in Mayfair for an international company!
“I found that Level 2 was a great foundation, and then you build on that for Level 3. This year we’ve been doing colour correction, different types of colour, advanced highlighting, and more technical cuts like transient lengths. It has been hard at times, but I’ve felt supported at all times.
“The teaching has been out of this world – you really couldn’t get better. The teachers all have experience of working in salons, so they talk about the industry as a whole, and give great advice. Starting to work with clients was intimidating at first, but you don’t do it until you’re ready, and you just have to believe in yourself.
“Because Nescot works with Toni&Guy, I managed to get work experience in a salon in Covent Garden. I worked hard and asked questions – and I managed to get a job at their salon in Mayfair. I’m starting as a salon assistant, and then I’ll become a technician, and I’ll keep working my way up. Work experience was nerve-wracking at first, because you don’t have the teachers there, but my tutor just kept telling me to trust myself – my skills and my judgement.
“My advice to anyone starting out is: hairdressing is a skill, so take your time to practice. If you’re willing to put the work in then you’ll get there. I’d also tell people to trust the teachers, trust the system and trust yourself. Everyone has days when they think they’ll never be able to do a certain technique, but you will get there with the help of the teachers. I would 100% recommend Nescot – I never would have got to where I am without them.”
Leanne
“I chose to study Uniformed Public Services because I hoped to become a police officer one day, and now I am. I can’t thank the staff at Nescot enough for their support and encouragement.”
Felicity Fletcher
I’ve wanted to be a teacher since I was small, and now I’m literally living my dream career. I teach English full-time at Nescot, working with teenagers and adults and teaching across all the levels, from Functional Skills to GCSE. I feel really privileged to be doing what I love, and the support I have here is amazing.
A few years ago I was working in administration at a council, and I ended up helping a colleague by covering a class helping adults with their IT skills. It reignited my passion for teaching, and when I thought about it I realized there was nothing stopping me from getting a qualification as an adult. I looked around for courses and I saw that Nescot offered a range of different options. I started with the Level 3 Education and Training qualification, which was one evening a week for 10 weeks. My tutor said I’d make a good teacher and encouraged me to apply for the Post-Graduate Certificate of Education, or PGCE, and she even told me about a bursary I could apply for. I studied full-time for a year, having lessons two days a week and doing a placement for three days. I really liked the structure of the course, because it was a good balance between learning the theory and ideas and then being able to put that into practice ourselves. We talked in classes about what had worked well on our placements, and we all helped and supported each other with new ideas to try. I also did my maths GCSE at Nescot. It was great to be able to do both qualifications at the same time, and being a maths student gave me even more experience of how people learn and how to help them.
When I finished my PGCE I started teaching at a prison. It was a really rewarding experience, because I knew I was making a difference every single day. I learnt a lot from the environment, and it has made me a better teacher. I’m delighted to be back at Nescot – the facilities are amazing, the staff are so helpful and supportive, and the students are a joy to work with.
Studying at Nescot has made me the teacher that I am today. The qualifications have given me the knowledge and the skills I needed, and the staff help inspire my passion for teaching – and I hope my enthusiasm is infectious. I love getting to know the students and understanding what motivates them, so that I can tailor my lessons and help them to get the best out of the subject. I would recommend Nescot to anyone. It’s the perfect size: small enough that it feels like family, but big enough that you get access to amazing facilities. The tutors support you so much and they really encourage you to work hard and to progress your qualifications. Teaching is my passion, and I’m so grateful to Nescot for helping me to follow my dream.
Shane Carpenter
I work at a financial services business in central London. I’m a Network Infrastructure Administrator, so I help to design and look after the different networks used for trading. It’s totally different from anything I’ve done before, so I’m learning a lot. The work is very fast-paced, and we do a lot of project work so there’s always something new to be part of. The people I work with are really experienced and very knowledgeable, but they’re also friendly and welcoming.
Studying at Nescot literally changed my life. I started with a Level 3 qualification in Computing, which I really enjoyed because it was such a practical course. You’d usually do 18 units, but I did 21 units to help me broaden my knowledge. I finished with a triple distinction-starred profile, which I was really proud of. I was offered a full scholarship to King’s University in London to read Computer Science. I was really tempted, and I would have been the first person in my family to go to university, but it wasn’t the right fit for me. I decided to do an apprenticeship, because I wanted to have a job while I kept learning, so I did the Higher Apprenticeship at Nescot and got my HND. I also did lots of additional certifications at Nescot, including multiple Cisco and Juniper qualifications.
The best thing I did at Nescot was WorldSkills, which is an international competition that people call the ‘skills olympics’. I entered the national competition in my first year at Nescot, and I won the regional competition. When I got through to the finals I was overwhelmed by the experience and I didn’t perform to my best. It was really hard at the time, but I learnt a lot about myself from the failure and it made me much better in the long run. I entered again the next year and won a silver medal, and then I made it to the UK squad for WorldSkills. I made it onto the final UK team for WorldSkills international in Abu Dhabi and won a Medallion of Excellence. I also won a Medallion of Excellence at EuroSkills in Budapest, and then I took part in an international competition in Shenzhen in China and came second.
The Computing tutors at Nescot encourage everyone to enter the competitions. I’m really glad I did, because I believe being part of WorldSkills helped me to get my job. I learnt so much technically, and it gave me so many opportunities to learn new skills and to test myself. The best thing was how much confidence it gave me – especially because I didn’t win a medal in my first year. I learnt that it’s ok to fail, as long as you use it as a way to admit what you don’t know and work out how you’ll get better. The more experience I got the more confidence it gave me, and now when I’m giving ideas at work I can back them up with real-life examples.
I think studying Computing at Nescot would appeal to someone who likes to learn by doing rather than reading from a book. The facilities across the college are amazing, and in Computing you get access to lots of great equipment and labs. The best advice I can give anyone is to work hard, to enjoy it, and to ask for help if you need it. The teachers are exceptional and they really go above and beyond to help every student. I love what I do, so it doesn’t feel like work. I’ll always be grateful to Nescot for the skills, qualifications and the experiences I had there – it changed my life.
Ricky Reino
I’m a big cat keeper at The Big Cat Sanctuary in Smarden in Kent. I’m responsible for the care and management of the animals, which include tigers, leopards, jaguars, lions, cheetahs and pumas. It’s a really varied job, which includes feeding the cats, maintaining their enclosures, and getting involved with guest experiences. It’s amazing to be able to build relationships with such incredible species, and my favourite part of what I do is training the cats for simple medical procedures.
I started my Level 3 in Animal Management at Nescot in 2005. After that I went to Hadlow College, where I did a Foundation Degree in Animal Conservation and Biodiversity, and then on to the University of Roehampton for a top-up degree in Zoology.
Nescot was a lot of fun, but we all worked really hard. I learnt a lot of theory in a massive range of topics, and the experience I got working on the farm was really useful. My favourite unit was probably Collection Management, but I still remember the things I learnt on Breeding and Genetics modules too. We went out to visit zoos a few times, which helped me to think about my career options.
I always knew I wanted to work with big cats. In my career so far I’ve worked at a private zoo in Dubai and then Paradise Wildlife Park in Hertfordshire, as well as volunteering at Chessington Zoo from Year 11. My advice to students is to work really hard at college, because that knowledge and experience on the farm will get you a long way. Don’t expect things to fall into your lap, but if you know what you want to do then just go for it. There’s no substitute for practical experience, so do as much work experience and as many internships as you can. One of the best things about working with animals is that you never stop learning.
Miguel Gomez Silva
I did my Level 2, Level 3 and Level 4 AAT at Nescot, and now I’m an accountant in a company and really enjoying it. The teachers at Nescot are exceptional and they really go the extra mile.
I did my Level 2, Level 3 and Level 4 AAT at Nescot, and now I’m an accountant in a company and really enjoying it. The teachers at Nescot are exceptional and they really go the extra mile.
I’m a trainee zookeeper at Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire. I started my job in 2015, after finishing my Level 3 Animal Management course at Nescot with a triple distinction. I’m doing an additional qualification alongside my job, and soon I’ll be fully qualified as a zookeeper.
The best thing about being a zookeeper is how varied it is. In a typical day I could be doing anything from feeding animals to helping train them for procedures, maintaining enclosures, or mucking out. I live at the zoo, which I love because you get to be involved at a closer level. For example, you might be called on to help with an animal arriving at the zoo late at night after it’s been transported from another zoo, or you might need to look after an animal that needs special care. I work with all kinds of animals, from brown bears to tigers, but my favourite animal to work with is a camel.
The best thing about studying at Nescot was getting to work on the farm. I’d advise any students who want to become zookeepers to really make the most of the farm, because what you learn is so transferable. The farm is like a small version of a zoo, and a lot of the techniques you use are the same. For example, the units I studied on Anatomy, Biology and Biochemistry and the practical skills I learnt helping catching sheep and lambing still help me in my day-to-day job now.
While I was at Nescot I did work experience at Chessington Zoo, and I also had a part-time job looking after reptiles at a garden centre. My tutors always encouraged me to push myself, and I’d tell anyone studying Animal Management the same thing. I always knew I wanted to work with exotic animals, either in conservation or as a zookeeper, and I feel really lucky that my first job is at Whipsnade.
I’m a dairy assistant at a farm in Oxfordshire. A typical day starts for me at 3.20am, when my alarm goes off, and I start work at 4am.
The farm I’m on now has about 460 cows, and we supply 14,500 litres of milk per day to shops including Tesco. I supervise the milking and take care of the cows in general – I even do the artificial insemination. It’s a long day, and it’s hard work, but I love what I do.
I did my NVQ1 and my First Diploma at Nescot, and I did my work experience at City Farm and Bocketts Farm, which was my first experience of a working farm. I went on to Plumpton College to do a National Diploma in Agriculture. Since then I’ve worked with herds of cows for almost ten years and I’ve travelled the world – I’ve worked in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, as well as in the UK. It’s a great trade, because you can go anywhere there’s cows.
My advice to students is to make sure you’re confident in your practical skills, whether that’s handling animals or understanding their biology. In my line of work it’s essential that you can drive a tractor, and I would recommend making sure you have your driving licence as soon as possible.
I struggled at school, and I was diagnosed with dyslexia and dyspraxia. I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, but once I visited Nescot I was hooked. I loved working with the cows, and for the first time I could see a career path that really fit me. It literally transformed my life – without Zoe and Marcus and Nescot I honestly don’t know what I would have done. They taught me that if you work hard the sky really is the limit.