Learner case study: Lucy Korneluk
From Apprentice to Teacher with Access Training
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“An apprenticeship gives you the opportunity to learn through direct experience. But it’s important to choose the right apprenticeship partner.” |
Access Training has supported hundreds of learners to develop fulfilling careers in education.
Lucy Korneluk, Teacher Trainee at Foxwood Academy, Nottingham, describes her journey from apprentice to teacher with Access Training. |
“Like many 16 year-olds, I was unsure of which career path I wanted to pursue so kept my options open with A Levels that appealed to me: Psychology, Business Studies, English and Travel & Tourism.
I wasn’t sold on the idea of university and had started to look at apprenticeships in business studies. But the turning point came when I joined my Dad on an INSET day. Seeing his work as a teaching assistant encouraged me to explore jobs within education.
I enrolled on a Supporting Teaching & Learning Apprenticeship Level 2 with Access Training after finding their advert on a website for jobs within schools in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.
From apprentice to teacher
After completing almost a full year as an apprentice at Foxwood Academy in 2012, I was successful in securing a permanent role with them as a learning support assistant. My Level 3 apprenticeship followed, and with advice on next steps from my Trainer Assessor at Access, Janet Piano, I began a foundation degree in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities at Derby University. Spurred on by a Distinction and a Deans award for outstanding academic achievement, I continued my studies and gained a 1:1 BA Honours in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities in 2019.
I am now in the final year of my teaching apprenticeship at the University of Derby.
My early apprenticeship gave me a route in to starting a job within a school plus the knowledge base and qualifications I needed to further my studies. Without the support of Access and Foxwood during those initial years of learning, there’s no way I could have reached the level of achievement I have today.
Shaping the future of the next generation
Facilitating and supporting learning for individuals with special educational needs is immensely rewarding. After all, it’s helping to shape the future of the next generation. Beyond the educational aspect, seeing a smile on these learners’ faces along with their progress and confidence is the most rewarding part of my job.
Why I chose Access
An apprenticeship gives you the opportunity to learn through direct experience. But it’s important to choose the right apprenticeship partner. Learning about how previous learners had excelled gave me the belief that I could achieve the same with Access.”
I wasn’t sold on the idea of university and had started to look at apprenticeships in business studies. But the turning point came when I joined my Dad on an INSET day. Seeing his work as a teaching assistant encouraged me to explore jobs within education.
I enrolled on a Supporting Teaching & Learning Apprenticeship Level 2 with Access Training after finding their advert on a website for jobs within schools in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.
From apprentice to teacher
After completing almost a full year as an apprentice at Foxwood Academy in 2012, I was successful in securing a permanent role with them as a learning support assistant. My Level 3 apprenticeship followed, and with advice on next steps from my Trainer Assessor at Access, Janet Piano, I began a foundation degree in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities at Derby University. Spurred on by a Distinction and a Deans award for outstanding academic achievement, I continued my studies and gained a 1:1 BA Honours in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities in 2019.
I am now in the final year of my teaching apprenticeship at the University of Derby.
My early apprenticeship gave me a route in to starting a job within a school plus the knowledge base and qualifications I needed to further my studies. Without the support of Access and Foxwood during those initial years of learning, there’s no way I could have reached the level of achievement I have today.
Shaping the future of the next generation
Facilitating and supporting learning for individuals with special educational needs is immensely rewarding. After all, it’s helping to shape the future of the next generation. Beyond the educational aspect, seeing a smile on these learners’ faces along with their progress and confidence is the most rewarding part of my job.
Why I chose Access
An apprenticeship gives you the opportunity to learn through direct experience. But it’s important to choose the right apprenticeship partner. Learning about how previous learners had excelled gave me the belief that I could achieve the same with Access.”
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