Public Services students welcomed Kevin Garside from Tameside Council to the college.

Kevin has worked at the council for over 35 years and is the Integrated Neighbourhood Services Manager & CCTV System Manager. 

As society itself and its pressures have transformed over time, so too have Kevin's roles and responsibilities at TMBC.

Currently his role is centered around developing integrated public service hubs which intervene and reduce the pressures on front-line services. While studying a full-time vocational course in Public Services, students explore government policies and how these influence the public services. Students also look closely at leadership and teamwork within the services in addition to an awareness of rights, responsibilities and respect for different religious, ethnic and national groups in UK society.

Kevin spoke to the students about his responsibility in reducing crime in the borough through various initiatives. As well as his responsibility for community empowerment and the safeguarding of adults. Students were able to see how local council works and the range of sectors the council are responsible for. Public Services students were able to connect the topics they are currently learning in the classroom with real-life examples. Kevin then spoke about some of the cases and issues he has dealt with during his time at the Council and how they have worked to overcome them.

Guest speakers such as Kevin, allow students at Ashton think about different career pathways beyond the obvious routes. Exploring the complexity of the roles they may not have thought about allows students to discover alternative careers. It also allows students to make informed decisions about their futures. 

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Find out more about study Public Services at Ashton here.