In Nicola's own words
My early years
Throughout my early education, I wanted to teach and encourage young people with achieving their ambitions, it is fascinating that often these goals are with us for the rest of our lives
I am very proud to be a product of the state school system and despite speaking beautifully having moved from Parkstone near Poole in Dorset to Saddleworth secondary modern, (I had missed the entrance exam for Hulme and anyway my parents could not have afforded it, as I was the eldest of 4 children). I do remember being bullied for being a swot, but being offered so many opportunities and courses because I loved school and wanted to do well. I walked away with 16 O levels in a combination of the old GCE’s CSE grade 1 and the first 16+ to become the fore runner of today’s GCSE.
Following A levels and a Bsc in Management Science at Sheffield university, I went onto my first sales job in flexible working hours and computerised time recording
Whilst studying for my MSC Management Science University of Sheffield I was a pioneer of the first industrial traning placements.
Honing the skills for future Entrepreneurism
I achieved significance success working my way up a from trainee sales to sales engineer and then onto sales manager for such illustrious companies as ICL, Ferranti, IBM and Digital as well as some major software houses including Hengstler, Plantime, Organisational development group and JBA.
Treading the boards
As a frustrated actress as parents wanted me to follow a traditional university career, but I managed to cram in LAMDA Bronze Silver and Gold in Drama, and Verse and Prose to Silver level