At North Hertfordshire College, we’re proud to work not only with brilliant tutors, but also excellent support teams who help bring learning to life in new and exciting ways. Take James Sutton, for example!
James works with NHC as a Learning Technologist, a role which sees him experiment with technology and how it can be incorporated further into our classrooms. Find out more about James’ NHC career journey and what his job involves in his meet the team interview:
What inspired you to specialise in technology in education?
“I’ve previously worked with North Hertfordshire College as a Course Team Leader in the Supported Studies department. During the pandemic, I provided a lot of technical support to my colleagues to help them navigate some of the complexities of online delivery. The feedback I received was overwhelmingly positive, with staff regularly commenting on how accessible and helpful they found my input and training.
“In June 2023, I completed my Diploma in Education and Training. The qualification included an action research project component, which I decided to focus on identifying the positive uses of technology in the College as well as investigating areas of improvement. This was partly inspired by my experiences during lockdown. Once I finished my course, I worked as a digital lead in Supported Studies to support my colleagues further.
“The role of Learning Technologist was created within the organisation, and I decided to go for it. I love face-to-face teaching and delivery with students, so I was slightly hesitant to leave that behind, but on reflection, this role is a natural step and essential to my professional development.”
What does your role as a Learning Technologist involve?
“I work as part of the Quality team to support tutors in identifying and implementing opportunities to embed technology within their curriculum. This helps make the teaching and learning content more engaging to learners, breaking down potential barriers to learning, and helping staff find or implement ways to make their workflow more efficient.”
What do you enjoy the most about working at North Hertfordshire College?
“One of the key highlights of working at the College is the sense of teamwork. Staff genuinely care about the students and each other, and frequently go above and beyond to help and support one another.
“The atmosphere at NHC is professional but with a sense of informality, creating a culture in which everyone is approachable and available if you need them.”
What’s been one of your highlights of your NHC journey?
“NHC is about changing lives. Whether it’s staff or students, seeing a group or an individual apply a skill independently for the first time is always extremely rewarding.
“Within my current role, I focus on making teaching and learning more engaging via the implementation of new technologies as part of curriculum delivery. This is often achieved by helping tutors develop new skills, but also involves working directly with students when introducing them to new technologies.
“On one occasion, I worked with an autistic student to induct them on using VR headsets, and they described the experience as one of the best they had ever had. It had completely eliminated any anxiety they felt before doing the activity, and this really highlighted to me how important and impactful my job is.
“The students tell me in their feedback how they feel valued, and how they appreciate being treated as equals by staff throughout their NHC journey. This is especially the case for those learners who didn’t have the most positive experiences of school before joining the College.”
If you could give one piece of advice to someone who’s thinking of starting their own career journey with NHC, what would you say to them?
“Every organisation faces challenges, but if you face a difficult period at NHC, it’s unlikely you’ll find a better team of people to work with than those at North Hertfordshire College. If you want to be part of a team where you’ll feel supported and encouraged to fulfil your potential, being part of NHC will provide you with the perfect opportunity.
“I count joining the College in 2009 as one of the best decisions I have made – this includes every progression decision I’ve made since.”
Work with the Hart Learning Group
We think all jobs in education are some of the most important and fulfilling jobs in the world – helping people realise their potential and build a life for themselves; helping businesses to grow and improve; and helping to build strong, vibrant communities.
If you share our passion, we want to hear from you – check out our available vacancies and come and join the team!