When Michael Love joined us years ago, he had already lived what many would consider a full career. After 25 years as a cabin crew member, working across both commercial airlines and military aircraft, he had seen the world, supported thousands of passengers, and handled every situation imaginable at 30,000 feet.

But Michael wasn’t done learning, and he certainly wasn’t done helping people. “I needed a change, I’ve been there, done that and bought the T-shirt. Michael says. “My last job had a long commute to RAF Brize Norton, and I decided I needed a new career closer to home.”

At the age of 53, Michael joined us as an ambulance care assistant in our patient transport service.

Michael says, “I watched the ambulance programme on the BBC, and that inspired me. Although some people had told me that it wasn’t quite real life, I still thought I fancied having a go at that.

“At the time, I didn’t have the maths qualification to apply for the emergency medical technician apprenticeship scheme. Joining the Patient Transport Service gave me the opportunity to start working in the NHS, gain experience and work towards the qualifications I needed.

“I was fortunate to get a glimpse of life on the emergency frontline when NWAS provided a scheme to upskill patient transport service staff to support crews during the COVID-19 pandemic. NWAS also supported me in achieving my maths GCSE through an online course before I applied to the apprenticeship scheme.”

Despite leaving education many years previously, Michael embraced returning to the classroom again for his new career, during the 18-month course.

“I enjoyed the apprenticeship, and it was a really good experience. The classroom work was practical, and the teachers were fantastic. They were very patient with us all and understood that everyone learns at different rates.”

Today, at 60-years-old, Michael is a fully trained emergency medical technician, passing his end-point assessment with distinction. He’s responding to emergencies, saving lives, and he’s started a pathway to become a paramedic by studying a paramedic apprenticeship, again, while continuing to work in his role.

Michael’s story stands as a powerful reminder that apprenticeships aren’t just for school leavers. At NWAS, they’re for anyone with passion, determination, and a desire to develop whether you’re 18 or 58.

“I am really proud of myself because it goes to show that age isn’t a barrier. If you want something and it’s within your grasp and there for you, you should go for it because you don’t know what is around the corner.”

If you want to join NWAS, we advertise all our current jobs on our careers page.

This article was taken from our Your Call magazine, which is our digital publication for our patients, staff, volunteers, stakeholders, and the public. It explores our service initiatives, staff, patient, and public stories as well as current issues and other features.