I am a mature/ higher education student at Merrist Wood College and have been studying Wildlife and Conservation for the past 2 years completing my level 5 this year. Having never experienced higher academic study (beyond A-levels in Sixth form) I was at first slightly tentative of how well I would manage retuning to study after a career change particularly in the scientific field. But the fantastic teaching staff were on hand to put my mind at ease to help me interpret and build my confidence with the course content. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time studying at Merrist Wood College.
In my previous working life, I have spent 12 years working as a swimming instructor and lifeguard for various different companies. When the pandemic hit in 2019 this completely shock up the leisure industry it seemed like these roles didn't have sustainable futures. I have always disclosed to the people closest to me that if I ever went to university (like many of my friends had done so) I would only want to study marine science or conservation, protecting animals and the environment. When I was 18 there were very few places offering these kinds of courses and it also felt like a highly competitive and slim job market to find work at the time.
Nowadays things couldn't be further away from how they were all those years ago. In 2024 Green jobs have skyrocketed, I am frequently notified each week of employers advertising vacancies for environmental, conservation and sustainability roles. I will forever be thankful to Merrsit Wood for enrolling me onto their Wildlife and Conservation programme and providing me with the kickstart into finding my dream role in conserving the environment and helping to recover the natural world.
I am a mature/ higher education student at Merrist Wood College and have been studying Wildlife and Conservation for the past 2 years completing my level 5 this year. Having never experienced higher academic study (beyond A-levels in Sixth form) I was at first slightly tentative of how well I would manage retuning to study after a career change particularly in the scientific field. But the fantastic teaching staff were on hand to put my mind at ease to help me interpret and build my confidence with the course content. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time studying at Merrist Wood College.
In my previous working life, I have spent 12 years working as a swimming instructor and lifeguard for various different companies. When the pandemic hit in 2019 this completely shock up the leisure industry it seemed like these roles didn't have sustainable futures. I have always disclosed to the people closest to me that if I ever went to university (like many of my friends had done so) I would only want to study marine science or conservation, protecting animals and the environment. When I was 18 there were very few places offering these kinds of courses and it also felt like a highly competitive and slim job market to find work at the time.
Nowadays things couldn't be further away from how they were all those years ago. In 2024 Green jobs have skyrocketed, I am frequently notified each week of employers advertising vacancies for environmental, conservation and sustainability roles. I will forever be thankful to Merrsit Wood for enrolling me onto their Wildlife and Conservation programme and providing me with the kickstart into finding my dream role in conserving the environment and helping to recover the natural world. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx
1 окт 2024
