If you’re considering joining North Hertfordshire College for a Child Development Studies or Health & Social Care course, then you’re probably going to meet Vickie Sharp along the way!
Vickie brings her experience from her previous roles in the Early Years Education sector into the classroom to help inspire and motivate the next generation of educators. Find out more about Vickie’s wealth of experience and why she thinks our courses are a great choice for learners in her interview below.
What inspired you to pursue a career in further education?
“When my children were young, that was a good opportunity to stop and think about what I want to do and I decided to retrain to qualify as an Early Years Educator. I started volunteering at a local preschool to build some experience, achieved my level 2 and level 3 qualifications whilst I was there, and then was soon after offered a permanent role. I ended up working there for about twelve years!
“I started off unqualified and worked my way up, so I can empathise with my students about what it’s like to be at the start of that career journey and building that confidence and experience. By the time I left that role, I was a Level 6 Early Years teacher, the head of two different sites, and managed 250 children and 25 members of staff.
“I then started asking myself ‘What’s next?’. I’m a huge advocate for the importance of early years education, it’s so valuable; if that initial learning is delayed, then a child may not fully develop. I wanted to shape the future of early years educators so I decided to get into teaching in Further Education and share some of my experiences.”
What do you most enjoy about working at NHC?
“My colleagues for sure, as well as the culture and atmosphere. There’s no obvious hierarchy to the team, there’s no one person who is more important than the other. We’re given autonomy. We’re allowed to be creative, and we’re allowed to make our own arrangements for activities and trips. That’s one of the best things that I enjoy from the student side of things: the innovation we can bring into the classroom. When it comes to theory, the learning experience can be heavy going. That’s why we like to include practicals, guest speakers, and trips where possible.
“There’s so much support for us in terms of personal and professional development as well. I’m part of the internal development programme, STARS, but there are also opportunities to get support with further training. The sky’s the limit in terms of development here.”
What makes your courses stand out to students?
“Our Child Development Studies programmes are respected by employers. Part of that is the high number of work placement hours that our students complete through their course. We also engage with employers across the sector which gives us insights into what students need to know when preparing to enter the workplace, whether that’s placements or employment.
“We prepare students with not only the technical skills they need for success, but also with the more general skills that they need. Our courses reinforce how important skills like resilience and communication are for students starting their careers. We also encourage students to think about how to be caring and nurturing through our extracurricular activities. These are skills that can’t just be taught from a textbook or in a unit, it’s something that gets reinforced throughout the whole programme, and I think that’s the work that makes us stand out compared to other colleges.
“We also do things like mock interviews which, as much as the students perhaps don’t enjoy them at the time, they finish that session feeling more confident and prepared for future interviews. Above all, our team feel like we’re not just here to teach the curriculum and from the spec, it’s about preparing these young people for their future careers.”
Any closing thoughts?
“I would say that since starting this job, I haven’t looked back and I’ve definitely found somewhere I belong. Everything just fits together. Things work well and, when they don’t then we come together to make changes until we’ve found the solution. That’s really priceless.”
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!