Graduation Tales: Work accident changed Darren’s life, but first-class honours proved that anything is possible

The International Convention Centre Wales in Newport will this week see thousands of our graduates from 2020 and 2021 finally cross the stage in their cap and gown. To mark the return of our graduation ceremonies, we are sharing the stories of some of our inspirational students.

Completing a university degree in his 40s was something Darren Archer never thought would happen to him, having left school at 16 and gone straight into a carpentry apprenticeship in his hometown of Peterborough a few days later.

But a serious accident in 2011 put the 45-year-old on a different path, which saw him achieve first-class honours - along with several certificates of excellence  - in his Quantity Surveying and Commercial Management degree from the University of South Wales (USW), which he completed in 2020.

The first few years after school saw Darren completing his apprenticeship and progressing to work on high-end yachts, initially as a carpenter and then as part of design teams and a supervisor, in roles which involved travelling around Europe, including to Spain, and Greece.

Once in his early-20s, Darren decided it was time for a change , initially working in a factory as a carpenter. Feeling the need to get back out into the construction world, however, a few years later he started a building business, providing services to local construction companies and councils.

Being adept at so many parts of the building trade was obviously a great way for Darren to ensure the building firm was a success, but it proved to be a reason for his life-changing injuries.

“I agreed to buy a plot of land from a developer I was working for, and set about building an executive house,” Darren said.

“I had attained multiple trades skills in my career, and was able to undertake the majority of the tasks myself.

“I was working on a development project in Primrose Hill in London and was completing the final plastering stages around a kitchen window. Unfortunately the platform I was working on jolted, which directed me into the window causing my left arm to break the glass window. I subsequently dropped to the ground, approximately four feet, with my arm remaining in the glass.

“The accident severed my artery, ligaments, tendons, nerves - everything within my left forearm.”

After the initial shock of the accident, Darren had to go through years of recovery, including three operations, and the insertion of a spinal cord stimulator device to help mask the constant pain he was suffering. This device uses electrical impulses to ‘trick’ his brain into believing his hand is uninjured.

As well as the physical injuries, the results of the injury also impacted quite seriously on Darren’s career, meaning he could no longer carry out the day-to-day to work he had been used to. And, having decided to move with his family from Peterborough to Pontypool in 2015, he was looking for a new direction.

While undertaking light work on his new home and some voluntary work to help make connections, Darren decided to do a HNC in Built Environment at Coleg Gwent in Pontypool to support his trade experience. He then secured a couple of years of work as a contract manager with some small local business, before progressing into a Project Management position at Monmouthshire Housing Association (MHA).

“When I was there I was managing multiple different projects and was looking to develop my skills further, so, having the HNC, I decided it was time to look progress my career by doing a part-time degree and saw the course at USW, on which I enrolled in 2017,” he said.

“I’d been advised that having the quantity surveying degree would open doors for me, when added to the experience I already had in the sector.  I approached the course like I do with everything, I like to be the best in everything I do as a professional.

“I graduated with first-class honours, was best QS student, I received merit for the best dissertation, and a Certificate of Excellence in each element. It was hard work, but definitely worth the effort.”

Having started his degree while working for MHA, Darren moved to a new role with Newport City Homes in 2019 to help develop his skills on larger projects, and also use his qualifications and experiences to ensure he was able to become a member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, achieving his Chartership. This was followed by becoming a MCIOB, member of the Chartered Institute of Building, membership of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and membership of the Association of Project Managers, along with achieving supporting H&S qualifications.

With his degree and professional accreditations under his belt, last autumn Darren then moved on to a role as senior project manager with project and programme management consultancy Faithful Gould, and now works for Rider Levett Bucknall in Cardiff.

The moves have further developed his ‘new’ career, and he puts a good deal of his success down to the support he has had from the USW.

“When I was younger I didn’t believe I was capable of going to a university, and it was something I thought ‘you’ve got to be quite special to attend, quite clever’. However, with a great deal of support, I was able to go in a new direction for my career, which I strived to be successful in, like before. My achievements speak for themselves," he said.

“I did notice that there was a couple of mature students, which says a lot about going to university when you’re older, when you know or are forced into a change of direction. There is always a second option to work towards - there are so many more opportunities available, and It’s not just about going straight after school.

“I do believe that working hard is vital to achieve your dreams. I hope I’ve proved to people that, if they want something enough, they can get it no matter what hurdles are in the way.”