Jade chose a career in social care because she wanted to help people. From helping her disabled cousin as a child, she wanted to use what she’d learnt from caring for her to care for other people.
Jade firstly went into social care in the domiciliary environment - which is caring for people in a supervised living arrangement in a home-like environment.
After five years of making a difference to people and having experience of palliative care as well, she was given the opportunity to move into a different part of the sector which is working with adults with autism and doing an apprenticeship.
On choosing do to an apprenticeship she says:
“I could see that the apprenticeship scheme was my employer investing in me – giving me the chance to grow, learn more and career prospects really.”
Doing the apprenticeship Jade feels like there is some more importance in her life - as she feels like she has a career and not just a job, which is definitely important to her. Whilst working towards her qualifications, Jade has been able to raise a family all at the same time so it’s worked really well within her life.
Jade has been able to progress by completing her level 3 apprenticeship. On her progress she says:
“I have gone from just being a carer to a confident person with knowledge in my field with being on the apprenticeship scheme.”
From her experience Jade thinks the apprenticeship is a good thing for people who have been to school, got their qualifications but not too sure of what to do saying:
“No one really knows at 16 or 17 what they want to do. But an apprenticeship is great for this and even when you’re older and been out of school for a while. An apprenticeship gives you the opportunity to learn, but job based learning so it gives you the opportunity to be in the sector you want to be in and learn whilst you’re there rather than not being able to enter that sector because you haven’t got the knowledge.”
About progressing further in social care Jade says:
“I definitely think that I can see a career path in front of me. I personally have gone from being a part time worker to being a team leader of a support provider with the opportunity to grow and further my career, and as my knowledge grows from my apprenticeship.
I know that my extra qualifications can lead me into all different directions in this sector that I wouldn’t have had if I hadn’t joined this apprenticeship scheme.”
Click here to find out more about apprenticeships in social care.
Click here to find out more about apprenticeships in social care.
