Here at the Trafford College Group we pride ourselves on our hard-working staff who support our students throughout their college journey.
We spoke to Learning Facilitator Nicole about the invaluable role she plays here at Cheadle College, and her journey towards becoming a member of the team.
Hello, my name is Nicole I am a learning facilitator at the Cheadle College!
In 2022 my goal was to finish my accountancy level 2 and I was gaining experience working in an accountancy office. Preparing myself to get back into work as my youngest child was now in school and I wanted a career change as I previously worked in private nursery settings.
I started to attend sessions at the job centre due to my youngest child turning 5 and they were really pushing me into work regardless of my course and volunteer work I was doing.
In July 2022 I started the course at Stockport College for a ‘learning facilitator’ role. I had no idea what this role involved apart from I would be potentially working in a college.
I attended the course for 2 weeks and couldn’t be happier I did. The course was very informative about what we would expect within the role. The first week was taught by a member of the Trafford College Group. The first week taught us about different barriers we would be challenged with and how to remove those barriers so students can gain easier access to their education.
Within the first week we learned about different educational needs and how students might struggle in lessons. I loved their value of inclusion, it’s something I put into practice when I work and try to educate other people about it as it is a very important part for me.
After just the first day I knew this role was for me. I felt back at home doing what I love and know but it would be with a different age group. I never thought I would have the chance to work in a college without certain qualifications. While I attended for the first week, I researched more about The Trafford College Group to learn more about the role and to see other potential roles for the future.
The second week was taught by an outside agency which was all about employability and preparing us for our interview at the end of the week. I found this immensely helpful for the interview as we came up with possible questions, we would be asked.
At the end of the two weeks, we had a guaranteed interview for the job role. Tutors Sue and Louise did my interview at Stockport College. They were so welcoming and lovely people which made me feel relaxed and my nerves had gone away. By the end of the interview, I knew I most certainly wanted to get the job. Sue rang me the next day with a job offer I couldn’t refuse.
I started at Cheadle Campus September 2022, and I wouldn’t change it for the world. My manager is amazing and so supportive. The team is fantastic and will do anything to help anyone, which made me feel so settled so fast I feel like I have worked here for years now.
Since starting here, I have done a variety of training courses online and I am currently learning British Sign Language, and in September this year I will be starting ‘Working with Children and Young People – Foundation Degree’ to help me progress my career to potentially higher roles within the TCG Group.
I love my job!