I work at a theme park & here’s the best parts of my job – including free rides

A THEME park worker has shared the best parts of her job – including going on the rides for free.

Charmaine Forrester said that getting to ride on some of the most popular rollercoasters in the country is one of the perks of her job.

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Charmaine has worked at Alton Towers for five years and worked her way up to engineering apprentice.

She revealed that she is the first person who gets to go on the rides every morning and, unsurprisingly, it’s her favourite part of the job.

The 22-year-old told Stoke Sentinel: “We have to check the rides every morning before people can get on them. They have to be signed off.”

Charmaine is also involved in electrical and mechanical engineering and helps perform MOTs, services and maintenance on the rides – which are some of her other favourite parts of the job.

She said: “I’ve always had engineering in my blood. My brother is an engineer and, when I was young, there was quad racing in my family.”

Will Mativat, who joined the park as a maintenance assistant last year, shared the scarier side to his job.

The 23-year-old said he had to check the lights during Scarefest at Halloween: “I’m a bit of a screamer. I had to walk through it.”

The theme park is preparing to launch a new school leavers’ programme where five people aged 18 and over can earn degrees for free.

Participants will split their time between studying and working in the theme park.

Jason Mumford, senior recruitment, learning and development manager, said: “They will be at host level for six months, then team leaders to fast-track their development. At the end of the three years, I would hope they secure a permanent job.

“We already have a foundation degree with Staffordshire University in resort management. But this latest programme is new.”

The theme park is recruiting for around 1,000 other jobs as well, including gardeners, lifeguards and entertainers.

If that has made you want to visit a theme park, we’ve rounded up all the new rides and attractions coming to UK and Disney theme parks this year.

You can walk up the UK’s tallest rollercoaster as a terrifying new attraction opens.

Grab half price Thorpe Park tickets for £27.50 as the theme park prepares to open next month.

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