Martin trades in old jobs for a new career

By Clearing

After spending 20 years in a variety of different jobs, University of Teesside graduate Martin Burns is building a new career as a Trainee Trading Standards Officer at South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council.

Martin, 41, originally from Belfast but raised in Middlesbrough, has recently graduated from the University of Teesside’s BSc (Hons) Forensic Investigation and Consumer Law degree. He returned to education after a 20 year break. Martin left school at 16 with a handful of CSEs and went on to work as a labourer, crane driver, heavy plant machinery driver, sales advisor, cargo distribution planner, ambulance and taxi driver.

Martin returned to study after an employer went into receivership. In 2000 he began a Pre-Access and an Access course at Middlesbrough College. Martin was fully prepared to enter full-time higher education and in 2002 enrolled at the University of Teesside.

Martin, a married father of one, said: “I was a bit nervous when I first went to university, but everyone was really friendly and I soon settled in. I knew that after three years I would be able to support the family better and that kept me motivated.

“In my second and third years I was sponsored by South Tyneside Trading Standards with a paid work experience placement and the offer of a training position when I completed the course, which was a great relief. We were very well prepared on the course and we had access to all the right equipment. It’s a very science-heavy course, because we have to be able to understand the reports which detail how counterfeit products are made and accurately assess weights and measures. There is an increasing problem with counterfeit cigarettes, which can often be even more dangerous than the genuine article, and we have to know what’s in them and how they are made. Without a science background, this would be impossible. We also have to know the consumer law inside out and be aware of the larger issues around counterfeiting, such as it being used to fund terrorism and other crimes.

“I’ve still got some professional qualifications to earn, but I’m confident that I’ll be a fully qualified Trading Standards Officer in a year or so. Now that I’m working again, it’s a great feeling to be bringing in a good salary that will keep growing. The future’s bright and it was worth all the hard work at university.

“I didn’t like school and like most kids you think you know it all anyway and you don’t really understand what an impact a good education has on your future plans until you’re older. I never thought for one minute I would have a degree - I thought it was beyond me but it just goes to show what you can do if you really try. It’s changed my life.”

Martin is married to Geraldine, an Auxiliary Nurse, and the couple have one son, 12 year old Jordan.

To find out more about the University of Teesside’s BSc (Hons) Forensic Investigation and Consumer Law, call 01642 342499.

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