Learner case study: Sabrina Palmer-Worth
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Pursuing my dream career after redundancy
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“When the company asked for voluntary redundancies, I saw it as my opportunity to pursue a long-held passion for working with children.” |
Access Training has supported hundreds of apprentices in completing their Level 2 and 3 Childcare qualifications.
Sabrina Palmer-Worth is an Early Years Educator at Lily and Co Day Nursery. Here she shares how redundancy paved the way for her to follow the career of her dreams… |
“My route through education was a pretty formal one; I left school, joined college and then university where I studied Media Studies.
I didn’t though have any clear idea on what I wanted from my career. I joined a financial services company in my early twenties, starting out in store. With the in-depth knowledge I had of our products, I was asked to join the central IT function. My final role was as Software Tester and Application Support Analyst.
Although I was good at my job and I enjoyed it, I wouldn’t say it was a particular calling. I’ve always been interested in working with children and had been volunteering at my children’s school on reading initiatives and craft events.
So when the company asked for voluntary redundancies, I saw it as my opportunity to pursue a long-held passion for working with children.
Fear of the unknown
After twelve years with the same company, I was nervous about making such a drastic change. I didn’t study childcare at school or college so I would be starting at the beginning again.
A local college was advertising nursery apprenticeships. I had to do a double take when I realised that I would be eligible at the age of 36; I had always considered that apprenticeships were for school leavers. There was just one snag: all the jobs were miles away. Since I don’t drive, the travel time would have been two hours, not to mention the financial cost.
Then I discovered that local day nursery Lily and Co (based only a 20-minute walk away) were recruiting for early years apprenticeships in partnership with apprenticeship provider Access Training.
My Level 3 Childcare apprenticeship involved formal learning and research but, unlike my previous studies at college or university, it also involved the critical element of practical work.
I genuinely think this is the best way to learn: learning about the theory, putting it into practice and then reflecting on whether or not it has worked. I found that particularly useful for the modules on behaviour, working with parents and observation techniques.
I was due to complete my apprenticeship in March 2020 but actually completed it two months earlier. It was hard work juggling my study time with two young children but my passion for the subject was my motivation.
I am now genuinely happy in my work. Before I was doing my job because it was my job. Now I get up in the morning raring to go!
The skills I’ve learned aren’t just relevant to my working life. It’s given me a greater appreciation of my own children and I can act as a sounding board for other parents I know.
The best part of my job is seeing how our day nursery makes a difference to our children. Arriving at the age of three, a child can be shy, show no interest in interacting with other children and with limited language. When they leave approaching the age of 5 they are much more prepared and confident for school life.
An apprenticeship is an investment for life
There’s undoubtedly a financial commitment to undertaking an apprenticeship, particularly considering the level of wage in the first year. But consider where that qualification is going to take you. For me, that early investment allowed me to continue my studies with an Early Years Teacher Training PGCE at Nottingham Trent University. I’m very happy to report that I will become a qualified teacher later this year, all thanks to investing in my apprenticeship!
I didn’t though have any clear idea on what I wanted from my career. I joined a financial services company in my early twenties, starting out in store. With the in-depth knowledge I had of our products, I was asked to join the central IT function. My final role was as Software Tester and Application Support Analyst.
Although I was good at my job and I enjoyed it, I wouldn’t say it was a particular calling. I’ve always been interested in working with children and had been volunteering at my children’s school on reading initiatives and craft events.
So when the company asked for voluntary redundancies, I saw it as my opportunity to pursue a long-held passion for working with children.
Fear of the unknown
After twelve years with the same company, I was nervous about making such a drastic change. I didn’t study childcare at school or college so I would be starting at the beginning again.
A local college was advertising nursery apprenticeships. I had to do a double take when I realised that I would be eligible at the age of 36; I had always considered that apprenticeships were for school leavers. There was just one snag: all the jobs were miles away. Since I don’t drive, the travel time would have been two hours, not to mention the financial cost.
Then I discovered that local day nursery Lily and Co (based only a 20-minute walk away) were recruiting for early years apprenticeships in partnership with apprenticeship provider Access Training.
My Level 3 Childcare apprenticeship involved formal learning and research but, unlike my previous studies at college or university, it also involved the critical element of practical work.
I genuinely think this is the best way to learn: learning about the theory, putting it into practice and then reflecting on whether or not it has worked. I found that particularly useful for the modules on behaviour, working with parents and observation techniques.
I was due to complete my apprenticeship in March 2020 but actually completed it two months earlier. It was hard work juggling my study time with two young children but my passion for the subject was my motivation.
I am now genuinely happy in my work. Before I was doing my job because it was my job. Now I get up in the morning raring to go!
The skills I’ve learned aren’t just relevant to my working life. It’s given me a greater appreciation of my own children and I can act as a sounding board for other parents I know.
The best part of my job is seeing how our day nursery makes a difference to our children. Arriving at the age of three, a child can be shy, show no interest in interacting with other children and with limited language. When they leave approaching the age of 5 they are much more prepared and confident for school life.
An apprenticeship is an investment for life
There’s undoubtedly a financial commitment to undertaking an apprenticeship, particularly considering the level of wage in the first year. But consider where that qualification is going to take you. For me, that early investment allowed me to continue my studies with an Early Years Teacher Training PGCE at Nottingham Trent University. I’m very happy to report that I will become a qualified teacher later this year, all thanks to investing in my apprenticeship!
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