“It’s great real-life experience. I’m out in the community doing exactly what I want to do when I finish college,” says Cheryl about the opportunity.
Cheryl first met representatives from Heat Haus at an employer engagement event hosted by the College and now works two days a week for them.
“That was when it all began” she says.
“I spoke to James, one of the bosses, and Spencer, a commercial engineer at Heat Haus. Then when Kevin Simms, the director of Heat Haus came in to talk to the class, I chatted to him afterwards too.
“We were then assigned by our tutor to write a letter to Heat Haus to apply for work experience with a view to one person being employed in a paid position and thankfully, they chose me.
“On Monday I’m in the office learning the behind-the-scenes duties. There’s a lot of customer service, learning the computer systems and how to order parts so the engineers have what they need. On Thursday I go out with the engineers to properties or commercial settings and help them where I can, and they teach me what they know.”
Cheryl hopes the part-time position with Heat Haus will become a full-time permanent position once she completes her training. In the meantime, she is enjoying her time at college and is certain the hands-on experience with Heat Haus will help her advance on her course.
“The tutors are supportive and informative, and the facilities are brilliant. We've been lucky as it’s a new facility and we’re learning with the best of the best.”
The Construction Centre of Excellence opened at Newark College in September 2021 and Cheryl is among the first cohort of students on its new plumbing course. She is impressed with the College’s industry contacts and offers the following advice to future students:
“When you’re given opportunities to engage with employers, make sure you run with it. I’ve shown what can happen when you make the most of opportunities that come your way.”
Find out more about our plumbing and wider construction courses here .
Tour our industry-standard workshops and meet the tutors at our next Open Day at Newark College on Wednesday 23rd February. Register to attend here.
