Workplace training completed
The School of Medicine would like to congratulate Rachel Horn and Mike Fearon for completing work-based qualifications at the University of St. Andrews. Both training routes saw Rachel and Mike undertake a variety of tasks across a number of teams within the school. Rachel’s apprenticeship was organised through QA and combined on-the-job training with online learning. After realising that Sport Studies was not for her and dropping out of University, Rachel began searching for an apprenticeship. From the outset, the School of Medicine seemed like a good fit. Rachel describes work experience obtained at the School of Medicine as very diverse. She enjoyed a number of rotations across the professional services teams within the school including the teaching team and the admissions team. She says that it was a completely new work environment for her, given that her previous job was as a lifeguard, and she had never had a desk job before. The experience and support she received during the apprenticeship helped to build her confidence and administrative skills. Rachel was awarded an SVQ 3 in Business and Administration – Digital Applications Support, SCQF Level 6. She is thankful for the encouragement received during her training, particularly from Helen Clark, Operations and Facilities Manager. Rachel is currently the Postgraduate Secretary for the School and is hoping to continue her career in higher education.
Mike Fearon has had an interesting journey at the University of St. Andrews, since becoming a staff member in 2010. Earlier that year, he was made redundant from his job as a joiner, amidst the global recession, and was looking for new career opportunities. Mike originally began working as a part-time cleaner for Estates at the university, before transferring to the School of Medicine one year later as a full-time technical cleaner. Mike was eager to learn and committed to career development. In 2016, he was encouraged by Clive Masson, Manager at the School of Medicine, to undertake a work-based qualification. This training, run through Dundee & Angus College, involved completing work-based tasks in a variety of modules, and submitting reflective accounts and other activities in an e-portfolio. Since embarking on this training, Mike progressed internally within the school and wore many hats. In 2019, he transitioned to his current role as Research Laboratory Technician involving maintenance coordination, problem-solving and administration. It was a long road for Mike, balancing working, studying, and being a dad to his four children. The pandemic presented further challenges as his workload increased unexpectedly. In spite of these obstacles, he completed his training in 2021 and was awarded an SVQ 3 qualification in Laboratory and Associated Technical Activities at SCQF Level 7. Mike is grateful for the support and encouragement received from his colleagues throughout his time on the course.
A big congratulations to both Rachel and Mike!