Today we welcomed a range of employers from health and early years industries into Stockton Riverside College for our Careers in… Health & Childcare day!
Along with employers, we also welcomed students from Sacred Heart Catholic Secondary, Egglescliffe School and St Peter's Catholic College to take part in sessions with our tutors and the employers. These sessions aim to introduce the upcoming college generation to job roles they may wish to one day work in and the subjects that could lead them onto that pathway.
Students were invited to engage in six different sessions. These included, two with our very own Health & Social Care and Early Years course leads, plus sessions with Nerams Ltd, an independent ambulance service, a social worker, former primary school teachers and the manager and practitioner of Forest Friends childcare.
During the course of the day, we asked each employer to provide a piece of advice they would give to these upcoming students or to tell us what made them decide to enter some of the most hardworking and selfless industries.
Kieran Emerson, an Advanced Technician from Nerams Ltd was a big hit with the students with his flashing lights and loud sirens. Kieran kindly brought an ambulance onsite which allowed the students to gain some first-hand experience of the equipment they could work with in roles such as his own. Kieran was keen to explain the variation of roles available within the ambulance service. He said “My advice to students would be to explore the different routes into the ambulance service. There are so many roles to choose from, not everyone works on emergency ambulances, and there is a range of great jobs that exist within non-emergency roles.”
Vicki Lobb, Forest Friends Childcare owner, and manager said “The one piece of advice I would give students is, you have to love what you do! The misconception that early years is easy, could not be further from the truth, but it is the most rewarding job I have ever done. You get to play a huge part in shaping the futures for the new generation.”
Natalie, an early years practitioner, also from Forest Friends Childcare chatted with us about the reasons she entered Early Years and how her path has shifted into a particular specialism, she said “I came into early years through an apprenticeship after I left school. I fell in love with the sector because of how rewarding it is but in recent years I’ve specialised more in Special Educational Needs, due to my own experience with my son. I went through an autism diagnosis both as a parent and a practitioner which ignited a new spark for me to support more families with SEN needs.”
Rhian Prior and Carla Williams, both now Early years and Education lecturers here at Stockton Riverside College, also shared their love of the early years sector. Carla, a former primary school teacher said “Kids are great. Every day brings new joy, it’s always different. I feel very privileged to have taught the next generation.” She also provided a piece of advice to take into the industry, she said “always have a to do list, find out what needs doing now and the rest can wait.”
Both now hold a lot of experience and excitement toward the sector but for Rhian it wasn’t always a clear career path. Before starting her employment with the college, Rhian was an Early Years Foundation Stage lead, she said “I became a primary teacher because I wasn’t too sure what to do with my performing arts degree. I fell in love with education during my PGCE year, especially in Early Years.” It was great for the students to see how pathways into careers don’t always have to be linear and there are so many different doors you can choose to go through to reach your end goal, even if that goal ends up being a different one than you initially thought.
Finally, we spoke with Megan Foreman, a social worker based in Yorkshire. Megan shared how she had been in the profession for seven years now, she said, “I became a social worker because I wanted to give people hope, make a difference in their lives and keep families together.” Social work can be a profession that comes with a misconception of its workers intent, and Megan was amazing at explaining the role of a children’s social worker to the students, including what they could expect from workloads.
We’d like to thank all employers for giving up time in their day to come and partake in these sessions. The students who joined us will soon be facing important decisions regarding their future after secondary school, and these sessions are extremely helpful in providing insight into which industry may suit their interests and abilities best.
Do you have an interest in Early Years or Health and Social Care roles? We have a range of courses available here at Stockton Riverside College, for school leavers and adults!
Find out more via the following links:
School leavers:
Adults:
Part-time Education and Training
