Bradford College

Career ‘Hots’ up for Fire Crew Manager

Andy Wilds graduated from the BA (Hons) Public Services Management Course with a first class honours degree.  Andy made a three hour round trip from Hull to attend classes at Bradford College. He worked fulltime as a Crew Manager in the Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) and balanced the commitments of family life with study.  Andy wanted to increase his career prospects to create a better life for his young family and was determined to succeed.

Andy has worked within the FRS for nearly nine years and has been called to many incidents where his ability to perform under pressure has led to lives being saved.  Andy credits his ability to respond with the correct decision in a short space of time, to teamwork and being comfortable with taking responsibility for the decisions he makes.

Elaborating further Andy said: “When the bells goes down and I’m in charge of the fire engine and crew, I’ve got to make decisions under pressure and think on my feet. The course at Bradford has improved my ability to make intelligent decisions by following a structured process so as to ultimately arrive at the right response.”

Speaking about his Bradford College experience, Andy said: “The course has been extremely beneficial and has helped me immensely in my current role. I believe it will help my promotional opportunities immediately because I now have a degree in management in a very competitive work environment. I can evidence to my FRS that I’ve got a first class honours degree in Public Services Management because I want to progress in the FRS locally and nationally.”

Andy believes that the skills and qualifications he has gained from the course have set him on the right path for promotion within the Fire Service. Commenting on the level of support he received from Bradford College tutors, Andy said: “The support has been fantastic! The tutors have all got their own different ways of doing things, but the one thing they have in common is they all made time for all of us.”

When asked how it felt to have gained a first class honours degree, hardworking Andy modestly remarked: “When I look back and think ‘if I was to do it all again’ I’d try a bit harder, but overall I feel I committed as much time as I could and thankfully it worked out with a good grade.”  Andy’s enthusiasm has spread to other colleagues within the FRS who have now enrolled on the same degree after seeing Andy’s commitment and determination to succeed. Not content at stopping at a first class honours degree, Andy is now studying for his Masters Degree in Business and Management.  Andy hopes that with the right qualifications and his solid determination to succeed, the sky’s the limit for his career opportunities. 

Andy concluded: “Ultimately you get out of life what you put in.  If you look back and feel you’ve done the best that you can, then you should be happy!”