Student of the Year
Corrodere Academy name Steven Slack student of the year
Our 2023 student of the year is Steven Slack – Director of Operations at Ferrous Protection.
Steven has been a student at the Corrodere Academy for a number of years and over this time has gained 3 Train the painter qualifications and studied 6 inspection and specialist courses.
Steven undertook 4 of those courses and 2 renewals in 2023 alone and has achieved fantastic results.
In this Q&A session, Steven gives an insight into his course highlights and top tips for students…
What is your role at Ferrous Protection?
My role is Director of Operations, with a team of about 25 – 6 supervisors and 2 senior supervisors. We have a team who go out and source the work, then I execute the project from start to completion, including all inspection tests in between. I also deliver Train the painter training to the team, we have just recently completed a course which the guys really enjoyed.
Why did you choose to study with the Corrodere Academy?
I really like the way the courses are set out, the platform is very easy to follow. The assistance from the team at Corrodere is very good, if I ever need anything I can just pick up the phone or send an email and they get back to me very quickly. You also get a good amount of time to complete the training, meaning you can stop for a bit if needed and then come back to it. It’s very flexible.
Which course has been your favourite?
The ICorr level 3 is up there, but the best for me was Coating Surveys. It was very in-depth and I learnt about all the different types of surveys and things that can go wrong. It compliments the level 3 qualification really nicely and it’s great to keep my level of knowledge topped up as things in the industry change all the time.
What were your course highlights?
I really like the part of each course where you have completed the module and have a mini assessment to check you have picked things up. You can go back and do the assessments again if needed until you’re comfortable and this really ensures the knowledge has stuck. These tests make you feel comfortable for the final exam and you can return to the modules if needed. In this industry there’s so many people and everything changed so quickly so you need to stay at the top of your game. These courses really help to ensure we’re on top of things as each day is so different. You’re always learning through this job and it’s great to have the theoretical knowledge to back that up.
How have you applied your knowledge from the courses to your day-to-day work?
We complete a lot of coating surveys and having recently opened up our infrastructure side of the company we are doing even more. The course has really helped with reporting and recommendations and means we’re able to execute our work to a higher standard.
How have these courses helped you progress in your career?
They have definitely helped me stay ahead of the game and meant I can keep up with leading people in the industry. It’s also great to be able to pass on the knowledge to the team on the job, it’s the best way people learn.
What would your top tip for future students be?
The top tip I would say for online training is try and dedicate enough time to it every week. If you do a lot one week and then nothing for a while you tend to forget so I would say try and stick at it and complete a realistic amount of work a few nights each week to make it manageable. It’s also important to go back over things until you’re comfortable. I know some students wonder how they will stay motivated, so setting yourself achievable targets means it’s not as daunting. I left school with no qualifications and didn’t go to university but with this training, the platform is so user-friendly and easy to understand, it works really well for me.
A huge congratulations to Steven Slack on a brilliant year!
To find out more about Train the painter, coating inspection and specialist courses, get in touch with our team…
