Q&A with Newcastle College's Work Based Learning Apprenticeship Assessor in Business Administration and Customer Service​, Dean Moorhouse

Q: Tell us about your background?

A: When I left school after completing my GCSE’s, I decided to complete my A-Levels in Chemistry, Maths and Physics. After completing my studies, I decided that University wasn’t the right path for me and so I got a job in retail and completed apprenticeships in Retail and then Warehousing.

I then became an Assessor and progressed up to become an Area Manager. Unfortunately, during the 2008 recession, I lost my job and took a temporary position teaching and mentoring long term unemployed people in Birmingham. I then secured another role delivering apprenticeships where I became Quality Assurance Manager for the North West in Scotland. However, due to the required time commitments and being away from home a lot, I decided to apply for the current role I’m in now.

Q: What challenges have you faced in your career and how have you overcome them?

A: It was a challenge to not take the University route when for so long that’s just what was expected of me. I overcame this challenge by making sure the path I took gave me opportunities to develop the skills personal to me. Losing my job during the recession was also really tough as it came at the worst possible time - 8 weeks after I became a parent. There were no jobs in my field and so I decided to push myself and try teaching.

Q: Tell us what you love most about the work you do…

A: I love that I am able to support people in developing their careers, whether it be students just starting out or students wanting to develop their existing skills in order to progress. I get a great deal of satisfaction in seeing students grow both academically and personally and achieving things they never felt were possible.

Q: How did you get into education?

A: Upon completing my own apprenticeships my assessor was leaving so I decided to apply for their position as I felt I could use my experience to help others.

Q: What are the benefits of doing an Apprenticeship?

A: There are so many benefits, earning whilst you are learning is a huge benefit and gaining hands on experience and developing practical skills is so valuable as so many employers are looking for at the moment.

Q: How can hiring an Apprentice benefit an organisation?

Hiring an apprentice provides employers with a cost effective way to develop future members of staff, to their own company standards, Apprentices often have new ideas and fresh approaches which can benefit organisations in the long term.

Q: What advice would you give to someone considering doing or about to start an Apprenticeship of any kind?

A: I would suggest finding an apprenticeship which interests you and one that you’ll enjoy doing. Research companies well before applying and make sure they meet your needs. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and be open to learning as much as possible as this will benefit you in the long term.

Q: What key skills and attributes do you think someone wanting to pursue an apprenticeship needs to have?

A: The main thing is having a positive attitude and a willingness to learn and try new things, employers really appreciate this and these skills will look great on your CV for future roles.

Q: What do you enjoy most about working at the College?

A: I love the atmosphere at NSCG, everyone is so passionate and committed to making sure every student and apprentice receive the best quality education possible.

If you would like to find out more about doing an Apprenticeship, visit https://nscg.ac.uk/apprenticeships.