I completed my diploma in 2004. I wasn’t sure what particular job I wanted at the time, but I knew I enjoyed art.   As the course covered a wide range of disciplines, I felt it would be a good starting point and would help me to define which area I wanted to pursue my career in.

I chose CWA as I felt the BTEC offered me the chance to gain a wider range of skills compared to specific A Levels on offer at sixth forms. CWA also had a wide range of art facilities, making it more specialised in the arts compared to sixth forms or other colleges.

I enjoyed the different modules on the course, studying a range of topics from art history to photography, printmaking, life drawing and painting. We got the chance to put on exhibitions, both in the college and in the local community, and work with local groups on projects.

My memories of CWA are positive, the course helped me to see that I wanted to focus on photography as a career, and the qualification gained from CWA enabled me to get into university. I also made lifelong friends on the course, who I still count as my best friends.

After completing my course, I went on to university to gain a BA Hons in Photographic and Digital Media.

The course helped me realise that I wanted to focus on photography as a career, and the qualification gained from CWA enabled me to get into university to study photography and digital media, which, in turn, lead me to get the role I am currently in and working for a company that I have been for last 11 years!

My current employer is Nielsen Brandbank, and job title is ‘Group Photography Trainer’ and Franchise Implementation (it’s a bit long!).  The company creates online content for the FMCG markets. I focus on the part of the business which creates product photography for online supermarkets. I look after training for our studio photographers internationally and will travel to help set up new studios where needed, and train new starters. I will also support ongoing training needs and assist in setting the standards for our images.