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Case Study

Jack Fenton: From Hands-On Learner to Award-Winning Apprentice

Jack Fenton Main Image

Meet Jack Fenton, a final-year student at Belfast Met studying for an apprenticeship in Plumbing and Central Heating (Gas Fired Pathways) and current Heating Engineering at Ian Reid Plumbing and Heating.

For Jack, a keen interest in practical learning and a hands-on approach to tasks led him down an apprenticeship pathway and he hasn’t looked back.

Taking home the bronze at the WorldSkills UK National Finals is just the cherry on top of Jack’s ever-growing list of triumphs. The talented apprentice has also placed second in the Northern Ireland Skillbuild Final and has won several accolades including the FE Excellence Apprentice Award and the Spirit of the Met Award Level 3 in the Belfast Met College Awards, as well as the Apprentice of the Year Award at Northern Ireland’s Plumbing & Heating Awards.

Read more about Jack’s apprenticeship journey below.

Growing Up…
I have always been very hands-on and loved practical learning. Ian from Ian Reid Plumbing and Heating (my current employer) was fitting a bath in my house during the summer I left school. I took a real interest in the work he was doing and asked him about the apprenticeship pathway. I was lucky enough that he could employ me from then on.”

How did Belfast Met help on your apprenticeship journey?
“Belfast Met has helped me massively on my apprenticeship journey, particularly the Plumbing lecturers: Stephen Casement, Jonathan Miller, Jim Flood and Mark McComb.

"I have autism and found it very difficult to attend school. I was worried college would be the same experience but the way the tutors helped me has been a massive turning point, not only in my career and apprenticeship but my life as a whole. The tutors and lecturing staff are so welcoming and there’s never any problem too big or small, whether just needing a chat or to help with college work."

Jack’s time at Belfast Met and the experience from his employer has been instrumental in shaping the apprentice's skills and knowledge, leading to an impressive list of achievements. Here’s how his hard work and training have paid off in remarkable ways.

“My biggest achievement at Belfast Met has to be making the final of the WorldSkills UK competition and coming home with a bronze medal. Again, without Jim Flood's support, training and extra practice he was doing with me for competitions, it would not have been possible. This was an amazing experience and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to top it.

"The WorldSkills UK Final is only one of the multiple successes I’ve had due to the College and my apprenticeship. I also placed second in the Northern Ireland Skillbuild Final and won the NI Plumbing and Heating Magazines Apprentice of the Year Award. At last year's Belfast Met College Awards, I took home the FE Excellence Apprentice Award and the Spirit of the Met Award Level 3.”

My Employer
“I currently work with Ian Reid Plumbing and Heating and I couldn’t ask for a better employer! Ian has helped me massively during this apprenticeship by allowing me to have extra time in College to train for the WorldSkills UK Finals and by supporting and teaching me everything I needed to learn to succeed as well as I have done during my apprenticeship.”

What are the advantages of undertaking an apprenticeship?
“The main advantages of undertaking an apprenticeship are the opportunities that are available to you. You are upskilling yourself to be a valuable member of the community while also having a qualification and a job. You also get to meet plenty of amazing people along the way, many of which you wouldn’t meet otherwise.”

What advice would you give to people considering an apprenticeship at Belfast Met?
“A simple bit of advice I’d give to anyone starting or considering an apprenticeship is don’t wait - just do it!  Do not give up as there will be harder days and tests you might feel like you can’t do, but trust me, it is all worth it in the end when you see the success and results you can achieve.”

Are you interested in the Apprenticeship pathway? At Belfast Met, we offer a range of apprenticeships and traineeships across a number of subject areas.

To find out more about our Apprenticeships and Traineeships, click HERE.


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