Learner Case Study - John

John turned his hobby into a Modern Apprenticeship and is using the credits he's gaining for learning to achieve his goal to become a senior designer.

When his parents gave John his first digital camera, he discovered he could mix his love of painting and photography. He says: "It took a lot of time, but I learned how to make pictures that looked like a watercolour or a pastel painting, but still had the same clarity of a photograph."

John left school with Higher Art, English and Maths, but wanted to start work straight away rather than go on to further or higher education.

He used the work he had done as a hobby to convince a digital and photographic design company to offer him a Modern Apprenticeship in Photography and Photographic Imaging.

"I do one day a week at college, but the training is mostly done on-the-job. It's amazing how quickly you learn. I thought I was good, but there's always so much more you can do with digital imaging.

"I hope to be taken on as a designer full time. Then I can take other courses and work up to become a senior designer."

John's Modern Apprenticeship will give him a SVQ 3 (SCQF level 6) in Digital Imaging and the five core skills - Communication, Working with Others, Numeracy, Information Technology and Problem Solving - at Intermediate 1 (SCQF level 4).

And the credits that he will gain for his learning will mean that he can move on to study for higher qualifications to help him reach his job goal.