Aaron Curd
Study Type: School Leaver Vocational
Study Location: The Roundhouse
Subject Studied: Business,Leadership and Management
Business BTEC helps Aaron onto the property career ladder
Teenager Aaron Curd left school knowing that he wanted a career in business, possibly in property, where there was an opportunity to earn good money.
But he did not know the best way to go about it until he contacted Derby College and lined up his two year BTEC Level 3 in Business.
Aaron, 19, from Darley Abbey, said the course, which he completed with a distinction and double distinction star, “narrowed down what I wanted to do and set me up for my job.”
As part of Derby College’s Employer Academy he did work experience at Hannells Estate Agents.
That directly led him to get a foot on the property career ladder. When a position came up, Aaron was taken on and he is now a sales negotiator and a valued member of the team.
Victoria Downing, area manager with Hannells Estate Agents, said the business identifies potential future employees via its Academy link with the College.
She added: “Derby College’s business course is designed to prepare students for the workplace. We offer support and work experience during their course and we also help them with work/life skills.”
Derby College’s Employer Academy programme aims to boost students’ employability skills and job prospects as well as giving employers the opportunity to shape the college curriculum. It also reduces employers’ costs for recruiting young people into job and apprenticeship roles after their College course.
The course opened up lots of different routes I could have taken, and lots of different topics, like human resources, marketing, law and setting up your own business. I did work experience at Hannells and they offered me a job at the end of August. My studies help with my work, particularly in marketing and customer services. I'm enjoying every day – it's a career. The course narrowed down what I wanted to do and set me up for my job.