My Experience at the EKC Thanet Training Centre 

Hi, I’m Gary. I’ve been a learner at the EKC Thanet Training Centre for just over a year, in that time I’ve completed a few courses and am now working on building up my skills to follow a career in Administration.

Before I started at the EKC Thanet Training Centre, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. I’d been doing some IT courses here and there, just brushing up on my skills. It was actually a friend who first told me about the centre. I was doing an online course at the time, but I fell behind. My friend said to come and check this place out, and I’m glad I did! 

I started with the Get into Hospitality course and from there I found out about the Get into Administration Level 1 course. I’d done some voluntary work at Citizens Advice, helping with filing, answering phones, and scanning documents, and I realised I quite liked that kind of work. So, when the admin course came up, I thought, “Yeah, I’ll give that a go.” I wanted something that would help me get a proper qualification, and this seemed like the right step. 

The best thing about the EKC Thanet Training Centre is the atmosphere. It’s really relaxed and the tutors are brilliant. They’re patient, friendly and they don’t rush you. It’s not like school where you feel pressure all the time, it’s actually enjoyable. I’ve really liked meeting new people too. You rarely get that when you’re just doing online courses. 

One of my favourite parts has been learning about problem-solving and health and safety. I didn’t realise there were so many different ways to approach problems until I did this course. I’ve also particularly enjoyed the group work and doing PowerPoint presentations, which is something I’d never done before, but actually found quite fun. 

The centre’s been great because the courses are free, which has been a big thing for me. I’m on Universal Credit at the moment, and some of the courses you find online can be really expensive. A lot of people don’t realise that places like the EKC Thanet Training Centre are out there, offering free courses that can genuinely help you get somewhere. 

If had hadn’t started coming here, I probably would still just be looking for work or volunteering, but now I feel like I’m building towards something. I’m aiming to get an apprenticeship in admin or something similar soon. I’d love to get into a proper admin role, maybe even work my way up into management one day – who knows! I’d also like to improve my IT skills a bit more because things are always changing, especially now with all the AI stuff coming in.  

If anyone’s thinking about doing a course but isn’t sure, I’d say just do it. You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain. The tutors really support you, the courses are interesting, and it could lead to something you never thought you’d be able to do. I’ve learnt so much since I’ve been here and it’s all helping me work towards my future. 

I think this centre is brilliant and I hope more people find out about it, because it’s made a big difference for me, and it could for you too. 

If Gary’s experience has inspired you to try something new, why not learn more about your local Training Centre, or apply for a Get Into course today.