Brett Chard, Access to HE (Science), Bridgwater College 2010-2011

Winner of an Adult Learners' Week Award 2011

At 15, Brett Chard left school with no qualifications to run the family shop, and later worked as a lorry driver. Having always had an ambition to work in the care sector, in September 2009 Brett completed a Community First Responders training course, learning basic life support, defibrillator and oxygen training and dealing with medical emergencies.

This allowed him to work voluntarily with South West Ambulance Service providing care to the local community until Paramedics arrived. This experience spurred Brett into beginning an Access to Higher Education Science course at Bridgwater College in 2010, taking on two part-time jobs so he could juggle study and family life around them.

Brett has recently completed the Access course and has been offered a university place to study to become a paramedic, starting in September 2011.

Brett said “I feel that for me to achieve my grades at college and then to get a place at university is something that I never in the past thought possible, but now I feel is achievable”.

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