Meet the Staff: Richard
With a career spanning the Royal Air Force, IT training, and apprenticeship education, meet Richard, who brings a unique blend of technical expertise and a passion for teaching to HBTC.
At HBTC, we’re proud to have a team of dedicated professionals who bring a wealth of experience and passion to their roles. Today, we’re introducing Richard, one of our talented Tutor/Assessors, whose fascinating career journey and diverse interests make him a valued member of our team.
Can you share a little about your professional background and how it has shaped your role?
I did 22 years in the Royal Air Force as a Radar and Communication technician, then moved into IT training and was one of the main instructors on the first delivery of the first official IT course. I later joined a training company in Scarborough and delivered a wide variety of government funding training to unemployed people to help them get back into work before moving into apprenticeships and obtaining ECDL Advance in Excel/Word, MS Office Master 2010. I then did my CCNA in networking, and I am now here at HBTC delivering a range of apprenticeship training.
A Passion for Teaching Richard’s commitment to Excel training is evident in the positive feedback he has received from those he has taught. Here’s what some of his trainees had to say:
- “Very thorough training, with excellent pointers and tips. As a complete novice to Excel, I have come away from the training feeling like I could confidently use what I learned in my day-to-day role. Richard made us all feel at ease and confident in what we were doing.”
- “Very well-presented course.”
- “Richard was a great teacher and provided a very engaging, practical, and comprehensive course.”
- “Richard was a great teacher, very thorough and kept the team engaged at all times! My confidence has boosted tremendously as I had no knowledge at the start, but now I feel fully competent in what I’ve learned. Thank you so much, Richard!”
How do you like to unwind after a busy day at work?
I like building models, particularly wooden boats and Lego, along with DIY, walking the dogs, and gardening.
Can you share a fun fact about yourself that your colleagues might not know?
I was responsible for the introduction of a rare duck species “Anates gummi balnei” on the Falkland Islands, which is home to a wide variety of wildlife. This required careful planning and digging by hand of a small pond outside of the office, within a military environment to ensure their protection from predators. Which one island was mainly man, due to their unusual but striking yellow colouring. Once the pond was dug, the ducks were mainly imported from the UK by plane due to the lack of breeding pairs on the island. It was not long till we had 15 of these rare and beautiful species floating in our pond. Unfortunately, they did not breed in their new environment, but they did survive extremely well. The species “Anates gummi balnei” translates to “rubber ducks of the bath.”
If you could have dinner with any three people, dead or alive, who would they be?
Winston Churchill, Oliver Cromwell, and Alexander the Great – three historical figures known for their leadership and strategic brilliance.
If you could learn any skill instantly, what would it be and why?
Playing the guitar as I would love to entertain others with music, I tried but could not make sense between the various notes/cords.
If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would you go and why?
Austria (summer only). I love the open spaces and mountains and lakes for walking, along with the traditional houses, just a lovely country to explore and relax.
What’s your favourite book, movie, or TV series and what about it resonates with you?
Game of Thrones, it has great characters and memorable scenes, and what I feel a dragon would look like if they were real, I was hooked on the series from the first episode and had to binge watch the lot!
Richard’s wealth of experience, dedication to teaching, and engaging personality make him a key part of HBTC. If you ever need Excel training or want to chat about history, model building, or even rubber ducks, Richard is the person to go to!
If you’re interested in learning from Richard and developing new skills, particularly in Excel training, consider joining our programmes at HBTC.
emily simpson
Emily is our Learner Engagement Apprentice and is involved with all things social media and content development. She is also responsible for attending career events and maintaining relationships with local schools and colleges.