Catherine Carr knew from a young age that she wanted to work with children and with the help of ACT she is well on the way to making that dream become a reality.
She says, “I’ve always wanted to work with children and give them a good start in life. My dream is to one day open my own nursery, where I can give children the skills and self-esteem needed to go forwards and be able to face the challenges of life.”
Having struggled in the traditional school environment due to severe dyslexia, Catherine was given low expectations for her future career prospects. Through ACT, Catherine has defied those expectations and has recently completed a Level 5 in Children’s Care, Learning and Development, with support from her assessor Hayley Carter.
Catherine’s mum Angela commented, “Catherine was very fortunate to have a very special assessor who supported her through all the assessments and gave constructive advice which guided Catherine through some very difficult times. Hayley dedicated extra time to Catherine to ensure she had the support, knowledge and skills needed to be able to achieve this qualification. We are all tremendously grateful.”
Catherine added, “ACT has given me the confidence to pass my course by giving me the very best tutor. Every course should have a tutor like Hayley.”
Over the past 17 years, Catherine has pursued her dream to work with children with relentless determination. She took her first steps towards this goal by gaining an NVQ Level 2 in Childcare, where she was one of only 8 students out of 24 to pass the course. Catherine then had the opportunity to work as a Nursery Assistant where she spent the next 3 years working towards her NVQ Level 3 in Child Care. By the time she was 22, Catherine had been promoted to a Nursery Nurse.
Wanting to build on her knowledge, skills and experience in Childcare, Catherine took on the challenge of doing her QCF Level 3 in Management. The course took 2 years for Catherine to complete but she never gave up. Essential key skills have always been demanding for her but she has repeatedly completed Level 2 / 3 in English, Maths and Digital technology consistently.
During this time, Catherine’s career continued to thrive in line with her qualifications and she was promoted to Deputy Manager during a maternity cover. However, Catherine still had bigger aspirations for herself and knew if she wanted to make her dream of opening her own nursery a reality, she had to continue challenging herself and gain further qualifications.
Enrolling onto a QCF Level 5 in Children’s Care, Learning and Development with ACT was the step Catherine needed to take to progress her career and there is no doubt in her mind as to how influential the Apprenticeship has been to moving her closer towards her dream goal.
Speaking on what the qualification means to her, Catherine said “It has taken me 17 years to get where I am today, but I hope my story will inspire others. It doesn’t matter what your background is, or if you have learning difficulties. It doesn’t even matter how long it takes you. Just know with hard work and determination you can do anything you put your mind to. This achievement really is the first step to making my dreams come true.”
If like Catherine, you’re looking to further your career prospects and want to find out more about the training programmes on offer then head here to find out more. With over 30 Apprenticeship routes from Levels 2 – 5 to choose from and the chance to earn while you learn, what are you waiting for?
