At the start of 2020 Danielle had a secure job working in marketing, an industry she had worked in for 12 years but, like many others last year, her career was disrupted due to the pandemic. In March Danielle was furloughed and in October she was one of many employees throughout the UK who have been made redundant as a result of the disruption caused by Coronavirus.

However, Danielle saw this as an opportunity to retrain and pursue a career as a Teaching Assistant, a profession in which she had no experience. “I was a little worried at the age of 30 with a family of my own and no experience that I could change my career and had put it off for some time” explains Danielle, “once I knew my future wasn’t looking so good in my last job I bit the bullet and contacted HBTC to see what was available to me that would fit around my busy family life.”

In November 2020, Danielle signed up for the Building Better Opportunities programme with HBTC where she completed an online Introduction to Teaching Assistant course. “It gave me an insight as to what to expect as a Teaching Assistant, it was a great introduction and I felt it gave me confidence knowing that I’ve gained some knowledge going into such a new area of work.”

Danielle showed a lot of initiative in pursuing her new career. Knowing that TA roles always receive lots of applications, she contacted schools directly to enquire if they had any TA opportunities available and if they would support her whilst she completed a Level 3 Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship. Danielle’s determination paid off when she found a school that was happy to provide this opportunity but unfortunately this placement fell through – not that a small setback like this would stop Danielle! In addition to making her enquiries, Danielle continued to apply for apprenticeship opportunities online and she was offered an interview in December. Danielle received support from HBTC to help her with the interview including interview tips and how to do an interview via video call. Danielle took all of these tips on board and clearly impressed as she was offered the position.

Only 3 months after being made redundant Danielle started her apprenticeship at Boulevard Academy. Now employed in her dream career, Danielle has shown that perseverance and determination do pay off. “I am now in a fantastic placement and working hard towards my qualifications,” says Danielle, “an apprenticeship is the best way to gain experience, qualifications and to start your new career. My whole experience with HBTC has been brilliant, I can’t thank the staff enough for their continued support. Applying for the Intro to TA course and my apprenticeship is the best thing I’ve ever done!”

If you are aged 25 or over, live in Hull and East Yorkshire and are interested in taking part in the Introduction to Teaching Assistant course contact Chris Dolman for more information.