GRADUATE SPECIAL

CASE STUDY: MIchael Wakely

Where do you work? What is your position?

I am centre manager for Parkwood Leisure at both Kennet Leisure Centre and Theale Green

Recreation Centre, west Berkshire

What university/higher education course did you take and where?

BSc mathematics, statistics and operational research and then MSc in sport and health sciences – both at Exeter University.

Did you enter the leisure industry directly from university or did you undertake a post-grad course or any other course?

I completed my postgraduate MSc in sport and health sciences graduating in the January before continuing to be involved in the leisure industry until the commence- ment of the graduate course.

How did you find your first job?

Company advert through the university.

Was it easy to find a job?

Not easy at first. I had to explore various avenues to discover how to find about the jobs that were available to me. As I worked on improving my qualifications and skillset, more opportunities opened up for me.

What would you do differently if given the opportunity?

I would have started looking at job oppor- tunities earlier on during my time in higher education and spoken directly with companies in order to find out what skills and experience I needed to progress in my career, to accompany my qualifications.

What does your day-to-day role include?

I am responsible for the operation and man- agement of two leisure centres and the staff that work at them. I monitor the financial performance of the site and am responsible for site expenditure on a day-to-day basis to ensure that the sites meet their budget- ary targets. I work and communicate with the local council and schools to maintain relationships and I review and ensure that the company procedures are put in place for each site to operate efficiently, while ensur- ing the health and safety of all users.

What are your future ambitions?

I would like to continue progressing within the leisure industry, ultimately being responsible for even larger facilities, and be responsible for giving people the opportu- nity to develop and get involved in leisure.

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news & jobs at www.leisureopportunities.co.uk

The Forestry Commission offers a set of graduate development programmes

with your application to the programme, an internal management vacancy may await you on completion of the programme and could attract a starting wage up to £30,000.

Open doors to the outdoors

Elsewhere, the lure of the great outdoors could mean that the Forestry Commission's own graduate development programme is something you may want to consider. Far removed from the idea that public sector equals stuffy Whitehall suits, the govern- ment agency responsible for protecting the UK's forests and woodlands offers a number of far-reaching opportunities for those who have the inclination. According to Liz Morrison of the Forestry

Commission, graduates participating in the development programme are handed a permanent position with the opportunity to apply for a promoted post upon completion. And if promotion is still not forthcoming within eight months of completing the programme, an operational manager post will be found. "The Forestry Commission's graduate

development programme gives entrants a breadth of understanding of the business and develops their knowledge of forestry and people management skills. They are also expected to learn how research and write policy, and to project manage," explains Mor- rison.

You're not alone

To ensure you make the right choices, follow your instincts but also consult with careers

Read Leisure Opportunities online www.leisureopportunities.com/digital

advisors at your university. They may not have all the answers you're looking for, but they will help point you in the right direction and ensure you're not left to make uninformed choices. The Institute of Travel and Tourism, the Institute of Hospitality and Museums Association can help you, as will sector skills councils such as SkillsActive and various National Skills Academies where appropriate. With more people now going to university,

it is useful to view your degree more as a stepping stone rather than the end of your educational process. It is not so much the beginning of the end, more the end of the beginning, and throughout your career, you will always keep learning and progressing. Above all else, you're about to cross a threshold into the most exciting stage of your life and it has the potential to be whatever you want it to. l

Look out for our special Lecturer Issue on 20 April 2010. Sign up at:

www.leisureopportunities.co.uk/lecturerissue

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