“Without my Foundation Degree, I wouldn’t be where I am now, I wouldn’t be in the role I am now and I wouldn’t have had the opportunities I’ve had and continue to have, “ says Jeannie Christina who has gone on to great things since completing her qualification in 2017.
Jeannie, aged 41, studied the for the Foundation Degree in Supporting Children in Primary Education on a part-time basis over two years, and is now doing an 18-month part-time top-up course at the University of Wolverhampton which will lead to a full BA (Hons) in Special Educational Needs, Disability and Inclusion.
Jeannie, who is now a teaching assistant team leader at South and City College in Birmingham, said: “I opted to do the Foundation Degree on a part-time basis at college as it meant I was able to continue working full-time at the same time as studying which wouldn’t have been possible if I’d chosen to do a degree at university – and it was much cheaper too.
“The course greatly improved my professional understanding, enabled me to hone my skills, embed theory into my everyday professional practice, challenge areas that can be improved, identify new and different ways of doing things, and share my experience and knowledge with other members of my team.
“It also enabled me to take on more responsibility and opened up new opportunities that wouldn’t have been available to me without the knowledge and skills I learned – within six months I’ve gone from being a teaching assistant with an agency to getting a job at as a learning support practitioner at South and City College and then being promoted to my current role.
“The Foundation Degree is a lot more flexible than a standard university degree and can be tailored to your skills, knowledge and experience. It’s by far the best route and the support from the tutors was amazing – they encouraged me, prompted me and helped me to realise that I was capable of achieving my goal
“Because of all I learnt on the Foundation Degree I’ve already had great success at work and have opportunities to progress professionally in the future – it has changed my life and I will be forever grateful!”
