Jack Foister

Tell us a bit about yourself, your background etc?

I never liked schoolwork and studying, so I wanted to do something more active and practical, but I felt like it would be difficult to get into a career with sport. When I found out about the Entry to the Uniformed Public Services course at Newcastle College, I knew I would be able to develop more transferrable skills at the same time as working towards a specific career.

Have you overcome any challenges while on your course? If so, how has the college helped you?

At the start of the course, I was struggling to complete assignments on time, so I brought it up with my tutor in one of our one-to-ones and he said I could use our one-to-one time to get my assignments done in college. It might not seem like much, but that’s made a big difference to me.

What do you enjoy most about your course?

I really enjoy all the physical aspects of the course, like the stamina training and the military drills. I feel like those opportunities are preparing me well for a future in the uniformed public services, and they also provide a nice change of pace from what I was used to before in school.

Have you done any work experience or a work placement as part of your course?

There are lots of opportunities for work experience on this course. We get to go to military camp and do training days, which gives us loads of useful knowledge, skills and specific training that we can use in future.

What would you like to do when you finish your course? Would you consider studying a degree at Newcastle College University Centre?

I’ve got a scholarship offer at a university in America to study Field Preservation, so I’ll be heading over there once I’ve completed this course. I couldn't have done it without the support from staff here at Newcastle College!

Find out more about our 16-18 courses in Law, Policing and Protective Services