A Northampton College student whose work featured on an emotional DIY SOS project has been honoured with a top award from the Institute of Carpenters.
Tom Stanton was presented with the coveted Level 3 award in recognition of the quality of his work and also the dedication he has shown beyond his study achievements.
Tom’s progression has seen him be appointed to the role of technician within the college’s carpentry team, where he has taken on responsibility for workshop management, stock control and tool and machine maintenance.
Part of his new role includes staff training and he has already displayed competencies in managing senior groups. He will start his formal teaching qualifications in 2023.
Tom was put forward for the award by Tim Chisholm, carpentry co-ordinator and lecturer at Northampton College, who said: “Tom was a studious and focused student, prepared to work hard and achieve to high standards. He attended well and was punctual, he gained excellent scores and more impressively completed all of the required works well ahead of time.
“The difference with Tom’s achievement to any other outstanding student was that he would support others that may not have developed their skills and abilities at the same speed. He had time for his peers, he was willing to share his experience and he was patient and positive in his approach.
“This character trait was further evident in that year where he was instrumental in the success of two external high profile projects with the Frank Bruno Foundation and BBC DIY SOS. Without question he took these opportunities to grow and build upon his real world experiences to make him the person he is today.
“What Tom has to offer is not only his excellent carpentry skills but his value to carpentry as a bigger picture. He is a young star within our teaching ranks who can only inspire other students and hopefully be a role model for future students to aspire to.”
Tom studied both Level 2 and Level 3 carpentry at Northampton College before taking on his full-time technician role in April this year.
He said: “When leaving school, I was unaware of what course was right for me. I always liked the idea of property development, so I decided to choose carpentry. I found that not only was I good at what I was doing I had confidence and passion towards my work.
“I enjoyed helping out my peers so when the opportunity came up to work at the college I thought it would be great to do something I enjoy and have the ability to work towards my teaching qualifications. Since then, I have continued to learn new skills, such as being lead on the CNC machine and being able to run a busy workshop efficiently and safely.”
