Gary King

After losing his position as a bar manager in the spring 2020 lockdown, Gary lost his home and found himself struggling to provide for his 3-month-old daughter. Realising that a change in career was needed, Gary enrolled on an adult learning course for construction at Bolton College. He has excelled ever since, achieving a level 2 Diploma in Carpentry and Joinery, and employment as a technician at the college.   

With a 3-month-old baby to clothe and feed I could not sit out the lockdown hoping things would simply resume back to normal. I remained optimistic that something would change and I had a chance look at the Bolton College website. From there, I found the Construction course which I enrolled on. I then completed another course where I gained my Level 2 Diploma in Carpentry and Joinery that would eventually lead me to securing full-time emplyoment. I plan to continue to study and complete my Level 3 Diploma in Carpentry & Joinery while in my new position as technician.

The difference that learning has made is remarkable. During the lockdown, I had many sleepless nights worrying about how to provide for my family. Having served food and drinks to customers all my working life I could never have imagined that I could learn, study, and practice a new trade to completely turn my prospects around like this. I now possess new skills, I can complete various tasks at home but more importantly, my daughter and my family have a new inner peace. I’m excited to start in my new role and to finish my course successfully. I now have positive choices ahead of me and have a head full of optimism for the future of my family and myself.

David, a Curriculum Leader at Bolton College where Gary studies, said: “Gary has made a huge change to his career which, with a young daughter to care and provide for, was a big and risky decision. His successful appointment as a Carpentry Technician is a complete turnaround from his anxiety in his last employment, to his eager anticipation to join our organisation in the training and education sector.”