CREATIVE CABBIES SUNDERLAND CABBIES ARE ACQUIRING ‘THE KNOWLEDGE’
A trio of city cabbies is swapping life behind the wheel for careers in the classroom. It’s been almost 20 years since Dean Robinson, Tom Brooks and Martin Brown last sat an exam.
But that wasn’t going to stop these three putting the brakes on for a complete change of direction.
All three have signed up to a teacher training course at the Universi- ty of Sunderland. After leaving school with their GCSEs, they went straight into full- time employment, holding down a variety of jobs. However, their desire to teach was never far from their minds.
It was only when Dean, 34, completed
an Access to Higher Education course at City of Sunderland College - a prepara- tion programme for academic study at uni- versity - that his work colleagues were moti- vated to do the same. Now the pals, from Sunderland, are jug- gling their taxi driving duties around their studies.
Dean, who is in the second year of his English education degree, told the Sun- derland Echo: “It is hard work but worth the effort. We all know the goal at the end of this course.
“I’ve always loved any- thing to do with literature and liked the idea of teaching, so this course is ideal and it’s going really
Taxi drivers (left to right) Dean Robinson, Martin Brown and Tom Brooks
well.”
All three believe the tri- als and tribulations of life on the road as a taxi driver has more than prepared them for the challenges of teaching teenagers. Tom, 39, who joined
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the Army straight from school and is in the first year of studying ICT education with Qualified Teacher Sta- tus, said: “I think taxi driving is the founda- tion for teaching kids. There’s not much a kid
can say to rattle you once you’ve worked a nightshift on the taxis.” Martin, 38, held down jobs as a roofer and also at Nissan before hitting the road as a taxi driver.
He said: “I’m actually
the first person in my family to go to univer- sity, so studying the English education degree is a huge opportunity for me.” Helen Clyde, senior lecturer in English education, said: “Mar- tin and Dean are both committed to English and to becoming Eng- lish teachers and this undergraduate pro- gramme with Qualified Teacher Status gives them the opportunity to qualify in three years, rather than fol- lowing the usual route of degree then post- graduate course. “They will both make incredible English teachers and will be excellent role models for teenagers from non-academic back- grounds.”
SOUTH WALES CABBIE IS DRIVEN TO SUCCEED IN A CAREER IN ART
Cabbies are known for their chatty demean- our and firmly held views. But when pas- sengers clamber into Stephen Rew’s taxi and see his sketches, it’s usually they who dish out all the opinions. And they’re always positive, said the aspiring artist. “They say, ‘What are you doing driving if you can do that?’ It gives me a real buzz,” said the 24-year-old. His sketchbook and laptop computer are always close to hand while he is on the road. “If someone’s finishing their pint, or the women are finishing doing their hair or make-up, I’m doing sketching here and there,” he told the South Wales Evening Post.
Stephen also keeps a booklet showcasing his watercolours, oil paintings and illustra- tions for customers to have a thumb through while they are being
Artist Stephen Rew. Photo courtesy of the South Wales Evening Post
transported to their destination.
While he is grateful for the part-time work with Mumbles-based Oys- ter Cabs, Stephen said he hoped to make a living as an artist in the years to come.
After some middle-of- the-road jobs post school, Stephen decided to follow his creative urges and signed up for a Gener- al Illustration degree at Swansea Metropolitan
University.
“I had a choice of put- ting my money into a mortgage or going back to something I really enjoy,” he said. “The course is superb. My work has improved 100 per cent.”
Stephen hopes to focus on illustration in the future.
“His work is unbeliev- able,” said one of his regular passengers. “Mark my words, this guy will be famous.”
PHTM MARCH 2011
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