A college interview!

It is a very exciting time of life for Ellie. She applied to college a few months ago and a few weeks ago we went along to college one evening for her interview. It turns out it wasn't an interview, more of an open evening but it was still very interesting and informative.

When Becky went for her interview at college it was us talking to a tutor, getting shown around the college and filling out forms. Ellie has such a different experience. We are guessing it was because Becky went for her interview later in the year after we had moved house when all the local kids had already had their interview evening.

Ellie and I arrived at the college and were told to go and sit in one of the public learning areas, lots of teenagers were arriving with their parents and a teacher would come and take a small group away for different subjects. Finally the engineering tutor arrived and took us off to the engineering department along with about 8 other teenagers and their parents.

He took everyone's name and started telling us all about the courses. There was a few options for Ellie to choose from depending on what GCSE grades that she gets. She is still sticking with the level 2 electrical engineering course. There were a couple of higher level courses the tutors were trying to push but Ellie has the same plans as Becky. Do the level 2 and then 3 at college. 

When Ellie starts college she will do three days a week. One in the classroom, one in the workshop and one doing maths and English. She is so excited about being in the workshop as we were shown the type of things that she will be doing, a lot of wiring and testing but that is what she wants to do as a job. She wants to be an electrician, especially since she heard what the tutors said about it. As long as she passes the courses and does a year apprenticeship she will be qualified!

There was about 8 other teenagers along with Ellie and there was one other girl, the rest were boys. The tutor did say that girls on the engineering courses are rare things and if they end up being qualified electricians there will always be work for them. A former student is now qualified and pushes the fact that she is female as a selling point. I know I always hate having male workmen in the house if I am alone, even if they are the nicest people, I would prefer a woman but female electricians, plumbers, builders and things like that are pretty rare.

Over the time of the courses Ellie will be expected to do one day a week work experience. It can be anything as long as it is for a proper registered business but obviously they prefer it if it's something to do with engineering, plumbing, building or something in the industry. We have that sorted already as Ellie can go and work with my dad in his business. I know he won't be soft on her, he will make her work.

We learned that Ellie will be given boots, overalls, goggles and eye protection, we thought we were going to have to buy everything ourselves but the college supplies it. Phew! There will be a few trips which sound really interesting. They will get a tour around the Amazon warehouse, get the chance to go up in a glider plane after training, visit the wind turbine place and have the chance to climb up to the top of the one as long as they're not scared of heights and at the end of the 3 years a handful of the hardest working students get taken to America on an all expenses paid trip to see engineering things.

We did finally have a one on one chat with one of the tutors who officially offered Ellie a place on the course. Ellie really can't wait until September, she is so excited.