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Mike Jones

 Mike is fully embracing his new career as a paramedic, but is also enjoying a few other roles alongside this. The former City College Plymouth student is also a proud special constable in the British Transport Police and also sits on the board for NHS England’s Children & Young People’s Transformation Programme. 

Knowing that he wanted to be a paramedic, Mike chose to study for a Level 3 Extended Diploma in Applied Science, which is becoming an increasingly popular alternative to A Levels for those pursuing this career. 

Mike said: “I chose the BTEC route of studying because it gives you a mix of practical and theory learning, which I felt would leave me more prepared for university than if I had studied A Levels. I would highly recommend City College Plymouth to anyone with aspirations to become a healthcare professional.”

Mike explained that the course really helped him to develop his research skills, which were crucial for university, but also allowed him greater exposure to the level of academic writing that is expected of undergraduates. He said the College equipped him with the essential skills such as referencing and being able to structure an essay correctly. 

He said: “We all know essays are not the most exciting thing on the planet, but knowing how essays are structured and learning how to reference really helps you to prepare for this aspect of university life. 

“It was scary at first, leaving school and many of my friends, but I think this has helped me prepare for real-life situations. It also gave me the chance to study alongside like-minded people with similar interests and aspirations.

“There’s so much support for students at the College through tutorials, the library and the many other support staff. You are also given many opportunities to try different things that will all look great on your CV. 

“The people on my course have gone into various professions, but I know four who are also paramedics now, and we’ve also had nurses, radiographers, physiotherapists and more. I think this is largely down to the fantastic support we were shown by our tutors whilst applying for university – we’ve achieved our goals thanks to their guidance.”