James McDonald is the Centre Manager at Evolve Military College, Burnley Campus.
He has played a key role in the business and was pivitol to launching the Burnley Centre when it opened in Summer August 2019. It’s his job to make sure that the centre runs like clockwork and is open and available to the young people in the area who are looking for a career in the armed forces.
Day to day, his key responsibilities include recruitment, quality control and engaging local young people.
He says:
My own previous military experience involved 16 years in the Royal Marines where I achieved the rank of Sergeant. It’s our ethos at Evolve Military College to employ staff who are veterans, and that’s extremely important. We’ve been on the front line so we know exactly what is expected – and the challenges that will be faced.
One of the things I love most about my role is knowing that I can use my experience to make a real difference to the lives of our learners. I joined Evolve because I knew it would offer me the opportunity to change the outcome of a young person’s life for the better. I find it especially rewarding to help young people who are less fortunate than others to achieve their goals.
As the Centre Manager, I can ensure that we provide them with an environment where they can achieve outcomes they didn’t think they were capable of, by pushing their limits to the maximum.
The best part of the job? That’s an easy one for me! I just love seeing our learners go on to join the Armed Forces, knowing that they are fully prepared for a career in the Military thanks to our course and their hard work.
If I was asked for one piece of advice, I would say that ‘you get out what you put in’. Opportunities such as this don’t come around very often so make sure to take full advantage of the instructors’ experience.
