We met with a group of Employability students on a 3-week, South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) Teaching Assistant Course at a local Sheffield Community Centre. This course is run alongside TeacherActive training and taught by our Employability team members from Chesterfield College.
Not only does this course give the skills students need to apply for a Teaching Assistant role, but it also gives them a guaranteed interview and it’s accessible with it only being 3-weeks long. This benefits those who have personal commitments and those eager to start work in the industry.
Students found the course through job centres or people they know sharing it on social media.
Social media and local community posts have guided students to this course. “Someone who I know had shared the community centres post through Facebook. I was just scrolling and knew straight away it was for me and rang the number.”
Another student found the course through a recruitment agency. “I was talking to Reed and I told them that I wanted to become a Teaching Assistant and that I was applying for an apprenticeship. My employment advisor got straight in touch and informed me about this course.”
The teaching style and how compact the course is has been praised.
“What I have found great about this course is how it has been taught. I have done courses in the past and I haven’t enjoyed it due to how its been taught, not feeling supported or comfortable.”
The tutors teaching style has inspired the students. “I have found the course really interesting and wasn’t aware of a lot of the information on the course. As a parent, the Safeguarding content has opened my eyes to a world I wasn’t aware of. Billie’s teaching style is fantastic and I have learnt a lot from her way of teaching.”
“Normally teaching assistant courses are done over a year. I like how compact this course is. It’s a lot of information to take in over a short space of time but because it’s taught within 3 weeks, it fits around my personal life.
A lot of people on this course wouldn’t be able to do a longer course due to childcare. Three weeks is more manageable and you can plan in advance.”
Flexibility has been key for a lot of our student’s careers.
The students explained how childcare has been the main decider for their career choices. “I have worked in kitchens all my life and wanted a change. I also have kids, so working during school hours and school holidays is beneficial.”
Others explained how passion and experience have led them to the sector. “I have always wanted to work with children. This job benefits me and my family as well as my interests.”
“I’ve been self-employed for most of my adult life. I found myself wanting to do something new. I have experience working with children who have learning difficulties and additional needs too.”
Progression plans and ongoing support.
All the students have had their registration calls with TeacherActive which is one of the leading teaching assistant recruitment agencies. Once DBS checks have been completed, everyone on the course can start work with TeacherActive. The agency will find them placements and work around people’s personal commitments. These placements can be flexible from a different place every week or the same placement for two years.
As part of the SWAP, all students are guaranteed an interview at the end of the course. All the students praised the interview process, how relaxed it was and how it felt more like a chat. Students have also experienced ‘Days in the Life’ with TeacherActive through teams so students know what to expect when they start work.
Bringing more footfall into the community centre.
One of the students told us “I have volunteered at the community centre for a year and a half. The manager has offered me a job since being on this course, working with children at the centre. The skills I have gained have already shown how important they are and I’m putting my skills back into the community.
This room very rarely gets used and we want as much footfall as we can get. It has been brilliant to have a course here and we are willing to work with the college going forward to run more courses here.
A lot of the people in this community have trust in word of mouth. The centre is a safe place to be and people are happy to be here.”
The course meets the needs of the local community and allows students to give back to the community by working in local schools in the area. We hope to deliver more courses here going forward and support the community centre in Lowedges where we can.