I thoroughly recommend lifelong learning. I am delighted to have found this later in life and that I have the confidence to do it. To anyone sitting on the fence, I would tell them to go for it.
David DouglasTour Guide and lecturer
A locally based accountant who swapped his calculator for a tour guiding map – says studying a part time course at North West Regional College (NWRC) gave him a whole new career.
David Douglas set up his business Derrie Danders after studying Tour Guiding at NWRC’s Strand Road campus. The college is holding an online enrolment information day on Tuesday, September 19 where anyone thinking about a full or part time course will have a final opportunity to make an application.
David said: “I am an accountant by profession and a tour guide by passion. When the course ended tour guiding became a new career for me. I started two days a week and then gradually it become four and is now my full-time occupation.
“As an accountant I was always well travelled and whenever I went away, I always tried to take a walking tour. I saw this course advertised at NWRC and I signed up. When I completed it I had no immediate plans to start up a business but I was approached about giving tours and it all went from there.”
David’s tour business regularly receives five-star reviews online with visitors describing him as “excellent” and “extremely knowledgeable”
He is now a Level 3 Qualified Member of Tour Guides NI and is included on the list of "Giant Experiences" marketed by Discover Northern Ireland. He has also recently undergone Sustainability Training with Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and is Certified as Carbon Literate, as well as Leave No Trace Aware.
David said: “I thoroughly recommend lifelong learning. I am delighted to have found this later in life and that I have the confidence to do it. To anyone sitting on the fence I would tell them to go for it.”
NWRC will hold an Online Enrolment Day on Tuesday 19th September, from 10am to 4pm, where staff will be available on live chat to answer any of your questions and help you with your application. Log on at www.nwrc.ac.uk/enrol
With hundreds of courses to choose from, local people are being encouraged to take the plunge at learning something new, try a new hobby, or upskill to help them progress on their chosen career paths.
David has now gone on to become a lecturer on the course. Level 2 Tour Guiding runs on Tuesday nights at Strand Road campus and Level 3 on a Wednesday night.
To view the college’s part time course guide go to: https://www.nwrc.ac.uk/assets/files/Downloads/Part-Time-Course-Guide-2023-24-web.pdf
Full time courses can be viewed at: https://www.nwrc.ac.uk/assets/files/Downloads/NWRC-Full-Time-Course-Guide-2023-24-web.pdf
David Douglas from Derrie Danders
