Connor’s flying high with his career plan
Connor Laurie, 22, from Glasgow is working towards his apprenticeship at the Butterfly Nursery.
When Connor left school he was going on to pursue a career in sports coaching for kids, but when he was asked to help out at a nursery during the summer holidays he jumped at the opportunity.
After lending a hand, Connor was offered a full-time job and went on to college to study for his level 5 and 6 NC.
He is now undertaking an apprenticeship at the Butterfly Nursery and gets to incorporate all sorts of activities into the day-to- day routine.
Connor finds working in the nursery and seeing the kids every day incredibly rewarding.
Having his own key group of nine children, aged three to five, gives him a great sense of responsibility and achievement.
Just four months into his apprenticeship, Connor is at the very beginning of his career in Early Years, but he said:“The best thing about my job is the smiles on the kids’faces when you do something fun together – them being happy is the most rewarding thing.
“Every day is different and there are so many variables, you need to be flexible and creative to be able to adapt to every situation.
“For example, if you’ve come up with a game or activity and they’re not enjoying it, you have to think quickly on your feet to change it so you have their attention and keep them engaged. Ultimately, it’s all about the kids.
“Once I’ve finished my apprenticeship, I hope to work through my SVQ qualifications and get as much experience as possible.
“I want to try lots of different things through my career in Early Learning and Childcare, and maybe run my own nursery one day. All I know is I want to work with kids.
“For anyone thinking about a career in Early Learning and Childcare, I’d say go for it.
“You need to have the patience, because it’s not always an easy job.
“But if you that think it’s for you, just do it.”
There are plenty of jobs available in Early Learning and Childcare and lots of opportunities to get on-the-job training and qualifications.
The qualifications you need vary depending on the different roles – from support worker to manager.
Here are some examples of careers up for grabs in the ELC sector:
Support Worker As a Support Worker you’ll spend your day looking after small children – playing, caring for them, and making sure they are learning lots. This is an ‘entry level’ role and it’s a great way to get started in Early Learning and Childcare and train while you work.
Practitioner As an Early Learning and Childcare Practitioner you’ll be responsible for meeting the care, support and learning needs of the children you look after.
It will be your job to make sure the children are all constantly developing and learning – you’ll often work with other practitioners and families to do this. Most school leavers will find that training to be a Practitioner is right for them.
Manager As a Manager (or Lead Practitioner) you’ll be tasked with the overall development, management and quality of the childcare provided.
It will be your job to lead a group of staff, budgets, planning, and the bigger decision making in the nursery.
You’ll also keep a close eye on each child’s development and will take the lead on positive and caring relationships with each child and their family. With a range of roles and qualifications available, you can build your career according to the way you like to learn.
You can do work based qualifications, or attend college/ university. Either way, you get lots of hands-on practice.
You might start as an Early Learning and Childcare support worker, progress to practitioner and become a manager further down the line. There are lots of opportunities for progression.
If you know someone looking for a job that’s rewarding, fun and has the potential to change lives, then Early Learning and Childcare could be a great career for them.
The best thing about my job is the smiles on their faces ... them being happy is the most rewarding thing