Former student visits college campus in Lowestoft to inspire new graduates

Former ESFP student Zack Boast at work at Proserv, where he has been promoted to deputy team leader since completing his four-year apprenticeship. Photo:EEEGR (Image: Archant)

Zack Boast, 23, completed the year-long Energy Skills Foundation Programme (ESFP) in 2011 and has since worked in Indonesia, Singapore and Aberdeen.

The mechanical instrument fitter, who joined energy service company Proserv after college, spoke to 17 students at the Great Yarmouth campus about how his career has developed at the programme’s end-of-course celebration event.

Mr Boast said: “I learned a lot about leadership skills and how to present myself while I was on the course.

“But you have got to carry on yourself, gaining qualifications and taking every chance you can to get experience, promote yourself and build your career.”

The industry-led ESFP course was launched at Lowestoft College in 2009 and Great Yarmouth College in 2012 - with the two colleges merging to form East Coast College in April.

Regan Devine, 17, student of the year at the college’s Lowestoft campus is set to follow in Mr Boast’s footsteps at Proserv, starting an apprenticeship in operations and maintenance in September.

Regan highlighted the importance of gaining extra qualifications – after studying the ESFP along with a Level 3 engineering course.

“It meant spending an extra day a week in college but I wanted the extra energy qualification because I knew I wanted to work in the industry and would give me more opportunities,” he said.

“I would advise any young person with ambitions in the energy industry to find out as much as possible, put themselves out there, research companies that come in to college to speak to students, present themselves well and get as many qualifications behind them as they can.”

Student of the Year from the Great Yarmouth Campus, Joe Johnson, will now move onto a level three energy course at the college.

All students were presented with vouchers from Petans in Horsham St Faith, worth up to £300 to use against Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training (BOSIET).

Presentations were also given by Simon Gray, EEEGR chief executive, and Jules Shorrock, chairman of Suffolk Chamber of Commerce in Lowestoft and Waveney

The ESFP’s steering group is chaired by EEEGR’s Skills for Energy programme and is made up of representatives from East Coast College, the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board and the National Skills Academy Nuclear.

To find out more visit www.eeegr.com.