Staff Profile - Jamie Paterson
Over the next few weeks we are going to introduce you to some of the people who work hard behind the scenes at Recyke-a-bike. We have 23 people in a variety of different permanent roles in our Alloa Road offices, including; our team of mechanics, our outreach team, our trainers, and our office and administrative staff. In addition to this, we have members of the team who are on Community Job Scotland placements, including Jamie Paterson who has kindly allowed us to interview him for the blog!
Hi Jamie! First of all can you tell us a little about your current role at Recyke-a-bike - what do you do on a daily basis? How does your day go?
My current role at the moment is working in the spare parts area at Recyke-a-Bike and with Nextbike around Stirling. My usual day starts in the warehouse where I work with Jimmy to strip the old worn-out bikes to get any useful spare parts for the new bikes. On other days I help Tam with his Nextbike maintenance duties. We go to the Nextbike stations around Stirling and check the bikes over, then we either put new batteries in or do any quick repairs that are needed while the bikes at the stations. Each bike gets a service every few months and we take them into the warehouse to do this. We have a system for servicing the bikes and we have a system on the computer to record future preferences.
How did you first hear about Recyke-a-bike and the work they do?
I first heard about Recyke-a-bike when I joined the Falkirk Council Employment and Training Unit. Through this scheme I completed my training to become a bicycle mechanic. I did a 16 week training course where we were given Bikeability 1, 2, and 3 training, and achieved our City And Guilds Bike Maintainence qualification.
What is your favourite thing about working at Recyke-a-bike?
My favourite part of my job is working on the second-hand bikes in the warehouse and getting them ready to be sold in the shop. It's great because I know that my work means that the bike will be going to someone who will enjoy cycling on it again.
What would you like to do next in your career? What's your dream job?
In my next job I would either like to teach people how to ride a bike or continue doing the same kind of things as I am doing now.
Does cycling play a big part in your life?
Yes! Since I started working for Recyke-a-bike I have lost 2 stone in weight which is a big achievement. I now do road cycling and I also have a mountain bike which I love.
Who is your cycling hero?
My cycling hero would be Phil Jones [Outreach Manager at Recyke-a-bike]. He has a video on YouTube of him meeting Sir Chris Hoy, and he shows that cycling will help you lose weight. Now he is nearly a celebrity!
What would you say to someone thinking about joining the Training programme at Recyke-a-bike?
If you were to come on the training programme, I would say enjoy every minute of it! You get to meet some lovely people, and you will never work in a better work place where the morale is so high.
Jamie joined the team at Recyke-a-bike in November 2015 after completing his traineeship with the Employment and Training Unit at Falkirk Council. The Falkirk ETU has a proven track record helping young people gain the skills, work experience and qualifications they need to get a modern apprenticeship or compete in the job market. Interested? You can find out about current traineeship opportunities on the Falkirk Council website by clicking HERE.
