Following in her family’s footsteps, Toni glass left her part-time job that she worked alongside university to pursue opportunities, and instead found her interest sparked in the same industry as her electrician-by-trade dad. Now, she is an apprenticeship tutor of Electrical at Stockton Riverside College.

‘My dad has been an electrician since he left school, and when he mentioned he was starting a big job at his company, DM Glass Electrical Services LTD, and needing some extra labour, I jumped at the chance as I was still on the lookout for a permanent, industry specific role at the time.

‘After a couple of months of unsuccessful job searching, my dad asked me if I wanted to go to college and do an electrical course. I was really enjoying being on site, so I enrolled at the College, and the rest is history!’

Toni’s dad, Mark had previously employed apprentices from Stockton Riverside College, so encouraging her to study with the College was an obvious choice. Toni learned about many different aspects of electrical installations: ‘It was never boring; I was doing something different pretty much every day! The theory side was much less daunting than I first thought, and with only one day a week at college it was the perfect balance for me.’

Having been qualified for a few years, taking a short break from the workplace to have her daughter, she went back to work and passed her end point assessment. Following a few more years at her dad’s company, she applied for a tutoring role with the College and has been thriving since October 2025.

‘Moving into teaching was a challenge at first, but now I’m really enjoying it. My little brother is now at Stockton Riverside College doing the same course I did!’

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