From the bright lights of London to the blue waters of Dorset, we welcome new Apprentice, Jo
We chat with Rockley Apprentice, Jo to find out why he left London to take on his next challenge - a Level 3 Outdoor Instructor Apprenticeship.
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Fin first came to Rockley as a student fresh from his GCSEs. Fast forward four years, he is now a full-time member of the Rockley Team and works with the current college students as their Practical Lead.
Fin successfully graduated from Rockley’s Level 3 Extended Diploma in Sport (Outdoors) and thanks to the Free Instructor Training programme, which forms part of the Diploma course and encourages students to achieve many industry recognised qualifications, he also gained his RYA Dinghy and Windsurf Instructor tickets and Paddlesport Instructor. Fin’s experience at Rockley College confirmed his desire to pursue a career in the outdoor industry and motivated him to apply for Rockley’s Outdoor Instructor Apprenticeship. This gave him the opportunity to work and learn at the same time, while also achieving further experience.
Fin graduated the apprenticeship with a distinction along with a plethora of qualifications - RYA Senior Instructor, RYA Powerboat Instructor, RYA Safety Boat and RYA Intermediate Planing Windsurf. He then went on to work a full season with Rockley across their three centres in Dorset. The following nine months were spent teaching sailing and powerboating to the Royal Navy in Whale Island, Portsmouth – the location of their Navy Command Headquarters.
Following his apprenticeship, Fin really embraced the opportunity to put what he had learnt into practice and recognises the positives of working in different companies and environments: “It’s great to see the different ways of doing things – the pros and the cons. I like to transfer the skills that work and apply them to different situations and obviously avoid the things that don’t work!”
When the opportunity to work full time at Rockley College came up, Fin jumped at the chance: “It's an amazing environment. The kit is amazing, all the staff are great and there are so many opportunities to progress.”
As a former student, Fin knows exactly how it feels to be a student: “I can definitely relate to them and hopefully inspire them a little bit. It's great to be back with even more experience. I understand how it all works and I guess I have a lot more knowledge and initiative!”