Retrofit Learner Case Study – Shirley Gray
Courses undertaken: Level 2 Understanding Domestic Retrofit and Level 3 Certificate in Domestic Retrofit Advice
Background
Shirley is a business graduate, with a background in IT. After taking a 15-year break from her professional career to focus on home-schooling her two children, she was looking for a new start. Shirley recalls thinking “I couldn’t find something that interested me” until she came across a Facebook post about an opportunity to gain a place on a bootcamp that would train her to become a Domestic Retrofit Advisor and gain a Level 3 qualification. Shirley’s interest in retrofit stems from her having “a fascination for houses and property”.
Experience & advice
In the first instance, Shirley studied the Level 2 Understanding Domestic Retrofit qualification whilst waiting for the Level 3 bootcamp to start. Her view is that the Level 2 qualification prepared her really well for the Level 3 qualification. Whilst she describes the Level 3 bootcamp as being “very intense” she said that “the most enjoyable element was teamwork”. The bootcamp, which ran over 10 weeks, allowed the class to create a community, as well as build a healthy and stimulating learning environment. She recalls that “we all had different strengths and weaknesses, but we supported and motivated each other” and reflected on the fact that the bootcamp was “more interactive” than pure eLearning.
“The most enjoyable thing about the bootcamp was the teamwork” – Shirley Gray, Graduate
Impact & the future
The bootcamp that Shirley attended was delivered by Generation, a partner of The Retrofit Academy. Generation is a global non-profit that aim to support individuals experiencing barriers to employment. As a result, through this innovative program learners like Shirley benefit from employers’ connection events which “connect graduates with employers that are actively seeking employees”. During these events, Shirley was headhunted and invited back for a formal interview. She expresses that this was a particularly positive experience; “I resonated with the employer, they seem like a great employer with lots of opportunity for progression”. Shirley has since received a job offer for a role that was uniquely tailored to her skillset and knowledge. Shirley expresses gratitude to Generation for their support during the employment stage of the programme.
Benefits
- Through the bootcamp, Shirley has been able to build a good network that consists of fellow classmates. Since graduating they have supported each other with interview techniques.
- Along with a job offer Shirley’s outstanding performance during the interview process led to an increase in salary and benefits package.
- Developing well rounded knowledge about retrofit
- Gaining a brand-new qualification
- A new career with good salary and benefits package
Retrofit courses are available to enrol on to via the ACL Essex website at www.aclessex.com.
To find out more about retrofit courses on offer at ACL Essex and the opportunities available, visit www.aclessex.com/retrofit.
