In The Spotlight: Ben Bradby

Meet Ben, an extremely intelligent and enthusiastic learner that chose to embark upon a new journey in construction after turning his back on product design.

CHALLENGES

Ben, who used to be a professional product designer, had a spate of bad luck when his previous firm made the entire department redundant at the same time that he was breaking up with his wife. He was unable to pay his rent and made the decision to retrain into a trade whilst he was still young enough to do so.

OPPORTUNITIES

Ben tried to find work on construction sites but discovered that he was losing out to college kids, and with having no on-site experience, quickly realised that he needed to learn a trade from the very beginning. While he was visiting the local job centre he was handed an NSA Level 1 ITC course flyer, and as they say, the rest is history.

SOLUTIONS

Ben wasn't really sure what to expect from the programme, but he ended up achieving 50/50 in his CSCS test and really enjoyed the ITC course as a whole, saying "There was a good balance of practical and classroom-based learning." However, when he discovered that NSA we're no longer delivering carpentry training on site - focusing on plastering, P&D and bricklaying - he jumped at the opportunity of relocating to Sheffield Skills Academy to undertake their new Skills Bootcamp in Carpentry course.

RESULTS

In order to reach Sheffield Skills Academy in good time, Ben would cycle to Nottingham train station, catch a 7.30am train, and then cycle on to Sheffield... now that's dedication! Ben shone at carpentry, as though his hands had been made for moulding and shaping wood, but he said at the time he was open other trades. He would see where his learning would take him.

INSPIRATION

He told us: "My experiences at both NSA and SSA have been amazing. Not a single fault. Every campus is so friendly and kind, and the learners help each other along the way. I was fairly anxious at the start, but the atmosphere is very relaxed and laid back, making it approachable. The outdated stereotypical classroom way of teaching isn't present at the academies. They chat about football, help you with your CV in an internal group, and encourage everyone to participate in a personality quiz, which was genuinely insightful. It allowed me to understand my own strengths and weaknesses and showed me that I'd brought across lots of skills from my previous profession, which is why I seemed to slip into all elements of the programmes so well."

Ben rounded our catch up with his ultimate career goal, which is caravan and campervan conversions, although he said he wasn't thinking about running his business., explaining: "I used to manage a small team at my old job and I've learnt to walk the walk properly. I'm going to stay on tools, I may even become a handyman!"

However, pretty much as soon as he left, and unsurprisingly, Ben was offered a role with Heritage Engineering, who noticed this talents and tenacity, which he accepted over a London based design job! What a learner, one that fell in love with the construction, industry our academies, and his trade!