DCG Success Stories

HNC business student Kacper Bidniuk hasn’t got an ultimate career destination in sight but he’s enjoying his further education journey.

He enrolled on the level 3 course after going along to a Derby College open evening and says his studies are giving him plenty of options to explore.

Kacper, who came to the UK from Poland when he was 14, was partly influenced in his choice of course by his parents who studied management and accounting.

And, although he enjoys learning about business, he’s interested in lots of other fields, including art and design and languages.

He said: “One of the best parts of taking level 3 business is the opportunity to gain good work experience. In the first year we had a placement with First Response Finance in Nottingham.

We were put into two groups and our group went to work with Head of IT and the team leader. As part of our work experience, we got to present our ideas to all the staff. It was fun – helpful and really well done.”

Kacper, who was highly commended in the college’s Peak Awards in his second year, plans to go on to take the HND in business at the Roundhouse.

Impressed with the teaching staff and college facilities, he added: “I like the way we can be open with our tutors. You feel they respect you.

The availability and standard of the learning resources – the monitors, handouts, presentations etc – is good too.”

To earn money and gain further work experience, Kacper is currently balancing his studies with working for a logistics company in Derby. His job entails some physical work, forklift driving and assisting in the office.

And he’s found that his parents’ study choices have come in useful.

He added: “Members of my family went to university in Poland but I’m the first one of us to go into higher education in the UK.

My dad studied some of the same topics we’re doing at college on his course in Poland though so he’s been able to help me with my work.”