My time on college film a transforming experience’

AT just 17 years old, Alfie O'Neill isn’t only thinking about his next exam or the usual college fare of coursework deadlines and social life.

- LEWIS CLARKE [e-mail]

Instead, he’s been making his mark in a far more extraordinary way, by documenting the £60 plus million redevelopment of Yeovil College, a once-in-a-generation transformation that he’s not just witnessing, but actively contributing to.

For most students, a work placement means shadowing staff or sitting in on meetings. For Alfie, it’s meant stepping in front of the camera, giving voice to the challenges faced by students with disabilities, and shining a spotlight on how inclusive design can reshape education - not just for himself, but for an entire community.

Alfie's story starts in a familiar way. Like many young people, he began his time at Yeovil College working towards his GCSEs in maths and English. It was a visit to an open day that sparked something deeper. “I went up to the media department and they were talking about what they do there. That was just something that really captured my imagination,’ Alfie (pictured inset) recalls. “Ever since then I've been hooked.”

His passion lies firmly in media and when an opportunity arose to do a six-month placement with BAM - the major contractor behind the Yeovil College redevelopment - he seized it, despite early challenges in securing a placement. “Initially I really struggled to try and find work experience,’ Alfie admits. “But obviously then we found BAM, and that's how this whole thing kicked off.”

What followed was a deeply immersive experience. Working alongside BAM’s media and communications professionals, Alfie found himself learning not only technical skills, but also how to navigate the professional world. “It was a bit of a surreal experience and I still think about it now,” he says. “The fact that I got to do something like this is extraordinary. It’s something that will stick with me for a very long time.”