In 2015, James Emmett’s father suggested that enrolling on the multi skills course at UCM would be a great way to learn a trade, and therefore always have something to ‘fall back on’, five years later, and James’ approach to studying a subject that will always be relevant and required, lead him to discover his passion to creating a greener future.
Real-life experience brought into the classroom
“One of the best things about UCM are the lecturers, they treat you like peers, not students,” James insists that the relaxed yet hard-working atmosphere provided by the lecturers at UCM is the reason he loves the course so much and now intends to continue his education to learn as much as he can.
As well as the lecturers, James attributes a lot of his enjoyment to the fellow students in the class “You spend so much time with these guys in the first year, you create friendships that help to get you through the tougher assignments and harder aspects of the course.”
The apprentice of the year award
“Working in the apprenticeship scheme has given me the opportunity to work in schools and the hospital on everything from mains boards and big caballing to general electrical work” James’ passion and dedication to the course and his work outside lead him to win Apprentice of the Year at the 2019 Further Education awards, “I wasn’t expecting anything like that, I just made sure to work hard and concentrate in class.”
James has been recommending the course to his friends and encourages anyone considering a career in construction and electrics to read more about the courses offered at UCM. James advises those who take on the course to ensure they ask a lot of questions in the classes and if you are struggling, take a breath and then ask for help. He also talks about the importance of taking photos of the work when finished, as it comes in handy for the written aspects of the course!
The greener future
Often our future can be clouded with different ideas and we are unable to find our true passion, however, James has found his focus; renewable energy. “it was the lecturers at UCM who inspired me to look deeper into technical aspects of electrics, with a focus on renewable energy.”
When asked what his future looked like, James was clear on his plans going forward “once I have completed my education and am fully qualified, I intend to travel to countries who are creating technologically advanced renewable energy resources, I want to learn what I can from other companies then bring it all back home and set-up my own business on the Island.”
We look forward to seeing what James continues to do, and wish him luck with his future green initiative.
James studied Installing Electrical Systems (NVQ Level 3), find out more here.