Celebrating 20 Years of Successful Partnerships
A unique programme that has helped hundreds of firefighters and police officers realise their dream of getting into the services marked its 20th year by inviting former students back into college.
Firefighters and police officers from across the region descended on City of Wolverhampton College on Friday to celebrate 20 years of the Pre-recruitment Access course, the only one of its kind in the country.
They were joined by MP Pat McFadden and Mayor of Wolverhampton Councillor Malcolm Gwinnett to celebrate the course, which has been helping budding firefighters and police officers get through the challenging application process since 1990, reaching its landmark year.
The course, which is run in partnership with West Midlands Police and West Midlands Fire Service, is so successful that around 17% of serving firefighters in the West Midlands have passed through the programme, while there are around 300 former students now serving as police officers. In addition, a number of them have joined Police and Fire services all over the country. Working closely with local communities there has been an increase in successful applicants from underrepresented groups such as women and black and minority ethnic communities.
MP Pat McFadden said: “This course proves in such a wonderful way that education does not have to end in your late teens.
“The access course gives people a second chance, later in life, to achieve something they really believe in. It’s a great credit to the college for giving people this chance.”
Among those attending was firefighter and mother of three Marlenea Bhalla, who decided to quit her job as a teacher to embark on a career in the Fire Service.
Marlenea said, “I used to watch the fire engines go by and wonder what would it be like to ride in that truck and do that job?
“I saw the Pre-recruitment Course and wanting to maximise my chances of success I contacted the college. The course was brilliant, even though I had to travel right across the West Midlands to do it I never missed a session.”
Meanwhile Police Sergeant Rodney Rose decided to apply to the Police after leaving the RAF. Rodney had not been in a classroom for six years and found the course useful in brushing up his maths and written skills.
He said: “The real interview was so easy compared to the mock interview I had at the college because they had set such high standards. I thought the selection process was tough but having done the course I was very well prepared for all the tests”
Programme Manager Sila Patel said: “Our Pre-recruitment Access Courses were first conceived when unemployment was high and employers were identifying skill shortages, and over the years have become more and more popular.
“In response to student demand we now run courses in Birmingham and Coventry and have students travelling from all over the country to take part.
“We are particularly proud of the number of black and minority ethnic groups we have helped enter the services, and this is largely due to the hard work of the team in working with local communities and attending community events. Former students attend the events and act as excellent role models raising awareness of careers in the Services.
“Many of our students have made excellent career progression, including Watch Commanders, an ADO, and a number of sergeants and inspectors and our students now serve throughout the United Kingdom, including Dumfries and Galloway, Devon and Manchester.
“The success of all of our students is something of which we feel very proud.”
For more information check the college website at: www.wolvcoll.ac.uk/firefighter and www.wolvcoll.ac.uk/police or contact Sila Patel on 01902 821506. Alternatively email goddardpatels@wolvcoll.ac.uk
