Three friends achieve Early Childcare dream

Three friends achieve Early Childcare dream

Three young Wairarapa women who never imagined they would have a professional career, are now well on their way to becoming qualified Early Childhood teachers.

Twenty year olds Natalie Tunnell, Jade Fleetwood and Marina Carn shared similar experiences in their path to the Diploma in Early Childhood Education, all leaving the same high school as sixteen year olds with uncertain futures.

“None of us enjoyed school,” says Marina. “The classes were huge and if you didn’t understand something, you were left behind. We couldn’t wait to leave.”

Natalie and Jade remember discussing their futures soon after leaving school. “We decided we had to do something with our lives.” The pair joined the Youth Tech programme (for people who disengage from secondary school) offered at UCOL Wairarapa and discovered new skills. “We had to learn how to learn,” says Natalie. “And it was good to do practical things like producing a CV and finding out what you were good at.”

Growing in self confidence, Natalie and Jade joined Marina at UCOL Wairarapa as students, enrolling on the National Certificate in Early Childhood Education and Care. “I didn’t think I’d enjoy it, but there is so much more involved in early childhood education that I ever imagined,” says Jade. “It’s certainly not just babysitting!”

During their six month Certificate programme, UCOL students are allocated placements at local child care centres by their lecturer, Maryanne Corrigan. “I take a lot of care to match our students with the right child care centre,” says Maryanne.

Several years of experience and a trusted relationship with centre owners has ensured many of the students (including Natalie, Jade and Marina) are kept on after their placement time has elapsed. “The child care centres recognise how well prepared our students are, and often call on them for relieving work, and sometimes as full time employees.”

Natalie, Marina and Jade agree their learning experiences at UCOL, and in particular the Early Childhood programme, has changed them as people, teaching them patience and tolerance.
“Nobody had ever told me I wasn’t stupid,” says Marina. “So it was nice to be treated like an adult. I just needed to get confidence in my ability.”

Natalie, Marina and Jade are among six of UCOL’s successful Certificate students who passed Te Tari Puna Ora’s grueling selection process and they have been selected to study for their Diploma of Teaching (Early Childhood Education) with the organisation. The Diploma is a three year programme of weekly tutorials, individual study and supervised teaching experiences that they can undertake while remaining in their respective teaching positions in local early childhood education centres, gained upon successful completion of the UCOL Certificate programme.

“Now when people ask me what I’m doing with myself, I have an answer,” says Jade proudly. “And I know I will always have a job. There will always be kids to teach.”

ENDS

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