What a difference a day makes at City College Peterborough

[prev] …especially significant with regard to the course taught by mechanic Paul Isaacson – Introduction to Car Maintenance for Women. ‘It’s ideal for somebody who doesn’t want to do the whole taking-the-car-apart thing, but wants insight into how to do basic repairs, and not be frightened about what’s under the bonnet.’

‘It is partly the fear of what’s under the bonnet – or in the boot’

Paul used to work for the AA, being called out to do roadside repairs. Often the problems were minor and could be easily resolved, but many people – women especially – simply didn’t have the knowledge necessary to know what to look for. ‘Sometimes it’s just a case of wiggling a wire to get you going again. It is partly the fear of what’s under the bonnet – or in the boot, with the tools you use to change the tyre. It is a very male-dominated area, and that can be intimidating. Some women think they’re not strong enough to undo the wheel nuts, for example. You can buy extending wheel wrenches now, as opposed to the tiny thing you get with the car, which makes it all easier. None of it is difficult if you know what you’re doing.’ In a day, Paul can dispel much of the mystery. ‘Basically it’s about having the confidence to lift the bonnet, to be familiar with what’s under there and think “Yes, I do know how to check the oil, I do know how to check the water, I can change a wheel – and I’m not dependent on someone else to do those things”. It doesn’t necessarily mean you fixing it yourself – just knowing what to look for and having the confidence to go to the garage and tell them what you think the problem is.’

If all of that makes you hunger to know things in greater depth, Paul also runs more involved classes, teaching Level 1 and Level 2 apprenticeships at the College. One of the key factors with the one-day courses is when they happen. The fact that it took place on a Saturday wasn’t crucial for Rachael, but it was for her husband, whose hours of work wouldn’t have allowed him to do an evening course.

If you have an appetite to progress to a longer course, then there’s a range of daytime and evening courses, too

Jackie Hall, Marketing Development Manager at the College, says: ‘Often, people have busy lives balancing family, home and work commitments and, therefore, Saturday courses fit in better with their lifestyle. These special one-day courses are designed specifically for them. Being scheduled on Saturdays also helps them feel more relaxed and ready to learn something useful and enriching in just one day. Courses are designed for a broad range of people and include bricklaying in a day, sewing projects for the home, First Steps into Counselling and Food Safety in Catering. It’s amazing what you can learn in just one day and, if you have an appetite to progress to a longer course, then there’s a range of daytime and evening courses for people to enrol onto.’ ‘I think it’s really fun,’ adds Rachael. ‘And a good way to have a taste of something and see if you fancy it. It certainly gave me a lot of confidence with bricks, which I didn’t really have before!’

To find out more about the wide range of courses available visit
www.citycollegepeterborough.ac.uk, phone (01733) 761361, email
or pop into the College in Brook Street.