‘Ambitious, Passionate, Dedicated’: Alex’s Journey Through Hurdles To Higher Education.

I wasn’t a bad kid. I just sort of focussed on myself, did what I wanted to do. My mum was diagnosed with cancer. At school I didn’t pay attention, didn’t focus on my subjects. Just getting up out of bed was a hurdle.

T.E.C.K massively supported me, giving me life advice. My mind just became so much better, I could focus on what I wanted to do.

I used to watch World Rally Championship (WRC) all the time, it was just something that really cleared my head and I just thought I wanna be that guy!

T.E.C.K provides an insane opportunity in a great industry who is awarded by an amazing awarding body [Institute of Motor Industry (IMI)], which gives you all the doors and pathways you need for the career you need in the motor industry.

I love the workshop, classroom, actual theory. I love the work ethic here. I love the staff and the good times we have, it’s like a little family.

I started off thinking that’s it, I haven’t got GCSEs, I haven’t done my A-Levels, that’s end of the line. Actually, all the stepping stones are here at T.E.C.K, you’ve just gotta brace yourself for that hard first step and then continue taking them.

The skills I developed at T.E.C.K I use at my work experience at Scraptoft. It’s a specific motorsport garage but it’s sort of like a customer shop and I’ve always gone round and helped Mike – swept the floors, cleared the shelves. Now I’m helping him build looms or wire up looms from scratch. It’s wizardry!

I passed my IMI Level 1 Award 100% within a year, got my name on the board of ‘Learners who have achieved perfection’ and now completed the Level 2 Diploma which is the entry requirements I need to get to university. This opened the door for me.

I chose Derby University because it’s the home of motorsport. I actually applied for the Foundation Pathways Engineering Programme, if I pass that it’s a guarantee pass in-house onto the BEng Motorsport Engineering course.

The main reason why I picked Derby University is because people, teams and companies go there to pick some of the kids out – some of the students go and work with them for a year, two years. And hopefully, you get hired!

Anything is possible. You’ve just gotta know which doors to take. T.E.C.K helped me out a lot with that!

Homefield have partnered with T.E.C.K to keep providing opportunities for students like Alex as regulated post-16 provision. Check out our T.E.C.K @ Homefield learning route and take the first step towards your motor vehicle career today.