Nicola shares her Modern Apprenticeship success story

Modern Apprentice with @BordersCollege and @ScotBorders Council overcomes further challenges posed by lockdown to complete her training  

I decided that I wanted to become a Modern Apprentice with Borders College and Scottish Borders Council, as I knew I could learn whilst working hands-on in the nursery setting. I believe that the opportunity of doing a Modern Apprenticeship is something that I have thoroughly enjoyed, as I felt as though I was part of the team when working in the nursery but also that I had a great support network from the College and my assessor behind me.

I have learned so much from being able to put my knowledge from college work into everyday practice. I feel as though I have gained vital experience, which I may not have been able to do if I was in a full-time college course.

Being able to work whilst learning allowed me to reflect on what I had learnt, putting this learning into practice but also identifying my strengths and weaknesses to work on. Working in the nursery daily allowed me to experience a huge amount of activities and roles I would then be able to do independently once my portfolio was completed.

These opportunities excited me as I was treated as part of the team. I got to experience the pressures and joy of being responsible for the care of the children. I will take this learning experience forward with me when applying for a full-time job, allowing me to demonstrate my experiences and knowledge that I have gained throughout the apprenticeship period.

I would recommend a modern apprenticeship to anyone who feels as though they just want to get straight into working in the area that interests them and learn whilst getting paid to do the job.

Nicola Crombie, Modern Apprenticeship in Childcare at SCQF level 7, Scottish Borders Council

About Nicola Crombie: She has just completed her Modern Apprenticeship in Childcare at SCQF level 7, as part of a group of 24 new apprentices from Scottish Borders Council.

The Council have employed all these apprentices in order to meet the target of 1140 hours of free childcare being offered to each eligible child from August 2020.

The 1140 scheme aims to

• Improve children’s outcomes and help close the poverty-related attainment gap
• Increase family resilience through improved health and wellbeing of children and parents
• Support parents into work, study or training

Part of Nicola’s course was completed during the lockdown, which posed further challenges.