Claire
Lead IQA and Quality – Education and Early Years
When did you join Weston College?
My journey with Weston College began in 2007 as Placement Officer/Assessor for Early Years and Education.
Why did you join Weston College?
This role enabled me to work closely with employers from early years settings and establish good working relations with them and being a Placement Officer coupled with my Assessor's role made me see a new career pathway, supporting learners to gain their own Early Years qualification.
How do you spend your day?
My current job role at Weston College is Lead IQA and Quality for the Education and Early years sector. Within my role I am to oversee all the qualifications that are being delivered from Level 1 Caring for Children, Level 2 and Level 3 Supporting Teaching and Learning and Level 3 Early Years Practitioner. I work with a variety of awarding bodies, the main one being NCFE CACHE (Council for Awards in Care, Health, and Education) and we deliver a good variety of short courses also! With having 37 years of experience in a variety of settings I feel I have the experience to offer a wide range of support to any learner that aims to gain a qualification within the early years sector.
How has the College supported your career development?
In 2009, Weston College was incredibly supportive when I achieved my Assessors qualification and in 2011, I was later encouraged to move up the ladder and gain my Internal Quality Assurers (IQA) Qualification. Part of me having a successful career has been thanks to my involvement with a variety of Weston College courses and as an employee of the College I was able to complete my PTTLS qualification which has allowed me to work within the post-16 sector, teaching the current Early Years learners, teaching Assistant Apprentices, working with adult learners and school leavers too!
Alongside my role I am also currently studying at Weston College! I am on a Level 2 Counselling course which I am hoping will lead to Level 3 and then onto the degree in Counselling to finish off! There is a saying that you are never too old to learn and feel that I am proof of this!
What’s the best thing about working at Weston College?
My journey, all 37 years of it, has been a journey of discovery and thanks to Weston College I have been able to achieve more than I thought possible, it has opened so many doors to a career that I can look back on with massive amounts of pride.