When Thomas enrolled onto the BTEC Level 3 in Business at City College Plymouth, he didn’t imagine it would take him to the other side of the world. After studying A levels in maths, business and IT at Lipson Co-operative Academy, Thomas made the decision to study at the College after hearing about its excellent reputation.
Thomas said: “I wanted to improve my grades, the BTEC course seemed to offer a wide array of opportunities, and I had heard great things about the levels of support provided by the teaching staff.”
The course, which is equivalent to three A levels, trains aspiring entrepreneurs to make important business decisions, giving them the necessary knowledge and confidence in areas such as finance, human resources and customer service.
“Once I started the BTEC, I realised everything I had heard about City College Plymouth was correct: the opportunities on offer and the teaching style of the staff are the best things about the course. I was originally interested in finance, but the staff opened my eyes to all the other possibilities.”
Towards the end of his BTEC, Thomas received support from teaching staff to apply for an internship with PDVL Overseas Advisory, the College’s main international recruitment agency. After meeting the Chief Executive Officer of PDVL, Thomas was offered a two-month placement in China and Taiwan.
Thomas added: “My internship has seen me move into a marketing role. While in China and Taiwan, I spent a lot of my time engaging with prospective students and giving presentations about the benefits of studying at City College Plymouth. I never imagined I would spent two months working in South East Asia; it has been an incredible experience.
“To anyone considering studying the BTEC Business course: do it! You won’t regret it. There are so many opportunities and the staff really care about the students, not just their grades.”
Thomas is now hoping to study international economics with German at university or a higher-level Apprenticeship.
