"Having started my journey at HNC as a student studying A Levels in Biology, Psychology and Statistics, it feels like my time at the College has come full circle – I’m now here teaching A Level Psychology! Experiencing life here both as a student and now as a member of staff has given me a unique perspective on what makes HNC such a special place to both learn and work.

 

After completing my degree in Psychology at university, I found my way back to HNC as a Learning Support Assistant. In this role, I developed a deep understanding of students with additional learning needs, supporting them in class and through one-to-one sessions, celebrating their triumphs and supporting them to overcome challenges, and it was a role that sparked my passion for helping young people reach their potential. That passion led me to my next step as a Progress Tutor, which provided me with an opportunity to work with a wider range of students, and allowing me to develop the skills that would eventually lead to teaching. 

 

When the opportunity to progress to the position of Senior Progress Teacher opened, I was excited to take the next step in my career and enjoyed the new challenges and opportunities for growth. I was supported to develop my leadership and line management skills in a positive and inspiring environment, which armed me with the tools I needed to handle the complex pastoral challenges that came with the position. 

 

As part of my career development, I decided to take on a leadership role for Camp America which saw me spend the previous summer in the USA. This cemented my decision to pursue teacher training, and when the opportunity came up to begin my teaching career at HNC, it felt like the best next step for me. I’ve absolutely loved my journey at HNC, right from being a student to starting my teacher training, and I couldn’t imagine a better place to learn my trade and continue to inspire the next generation of learners."

"I joined HNC over ten years ago as the College’s Graphic Designer as part of the College’s busy Admissions and Communications Team – but I actually joined HNC as a student studying A Levels back in 2009! My role quickly developed to become a wider role that incorporated other responsibilities such as Marketing, Admissions and School Liaison, and when the opportunity came up to further develop my skills in a new area, I jumped at the chance. I now divide my time between the Admissions and Communications team as the Creative Communications Officer and the Careers team as the Employer Liaison Officer. 

I joined the College fresh from completing my Graphic Design degree and was excited to come back to my previous College as an employee. One of the things that excited me most about joining HNC was the difference I could make in helping local young people pick the right College for them by creating professionally designed literature that would represent the College’s values and curriculum offer. As soon as I arrived, I realised that HNC was a workplace that was genuinely collaborative, and colleagues across the College were so supportive as I developed my skills in my first professional role. I have always been encouraged to develop my skills, and as my confidence grew, so did my responsibilities. There were always opportunities to undertake continuous professional development .

 

I enjoyed taking on additional elements to my role as Graphic Designer, and my job title changed to Creative Communications Officer to reflect the additional responsibilities. When an opportunity arose in the Careers Team to take on the role of Employer Liaison Officer and share my time between two teams, I decided that this would be an opportunity to further develop my skills – I was also able to undertake a Level 6 Careers qualification as part of my transition, which was a challenging and rewarding process that helped me to take on the new role with confidence. One key area I have developed for the College in this role is the College’s work experience programme – an area that underpins the College’s curriculum intent to educate, enrich and enlighten.

 

I am proud to work at a College that truly makes a difference to the lives of the young people who live and study in our community – and I love seeing our students grow in confidence and resilience through the work experience placements I support them to undertake."

"I first joined HNC as a student in 2022, where I studied Human Biology, PE and Business Studies. I chose subjects that were fairly broad, as at this time, I was still undecided as to where I wanted to progress to after College! Just before I joined the College as a student, I saw an opportunity to join the College as one of the summer IT Assistants – and I was keen to gain some work experience to provide a wider context to my studies. I really enjoyed this early insight into work and developed a wide range of skills. My role as IT Assistant grew to include some estates responsibilities, and this was something I really enjoyed. I was lucky to be able to continue the role part time around my studies after my initial summer contract came to an end.

 

Although it wasn’t something I planned when I first applied to HNC to study, I found that I really enjoyed working with the estates team and building practical skills in installation and repair, as well as developing skills such as problem solving. After I completed my studies, an opportunity arose to join the estates team full time, and as I had enjoyed my work with the team as a part time member, I felt taking on the role full time was the right next step for me. 

 

I have learnt an incredible amount from the team. HNC is a large campus, and with a large campus comes complex problems to solve – no two days are the same! I have developed a wide range of practical and hands-on skills, whilst also developing personally. The trust the team has in me to complete my role professionally has built my confidence, and I continue to learn and grow in the role, taking on new responsibilities as they arise. I feel lucky to work in a team that keeps the College running so smoothly, and I take pride the in the modern, clean and safe campus we have created that allows our teachers to teach well, and our students to learn the necessary skills they need to progress to their next steps."

I joined HNC in 2014 as the College’s Senior Marketing Officer – and have worn many different hats ever since! My current role of Communications Officer and Deputy Head of Admissions sees me split my time equally between the College’s communications and admissions function, with the overall aim to ensure that we are recruiting the right students to the right course at the right college. It is a rewarding role that has a genuine impact on the College being able to deliver its curriculum intent and that as a College we are able to realise HNC’s vision and mission to shape a better future. 

Working within operations at HNC is interesting and enjoyable, and I love that my role continues to provide opportunities for me to develop professionally and build new skills. Throughout my time at HNC, there have been a number of opportunities to take the next step in my career - I have particularly enjoyed developing my wider knowledge of education through my work in Admissions. Working at HNC has also allowed me to balance my family commitments alongside my career; working term time only has made it possible for me to continue a career that I love without compromising the time I am able to spend with my children in the holidays. 

What I really enjoy about working at HNC is that you are encouraged to think outside the box – ideas are genuinely listened to, and you are given the autonomy to carry out your role in a way that empowers you. For me, this is what makes my work-life satisfying. I also love working directly with the students through programmes such as enrichment, which provides another dimension to my role. 

I fully believe that HNC is a College where students and staff really can be their best selves, and I feel proud to play my part in a College that really does make a difference to the lives of young people locally.

"I’ve had quite the journey at HNC, initially joining as a Learning Support Mentor. I then applied to become a Progress Tutor, before undertaking my teacher training and teaching Sport and Business. I then applied to become a Faculty Lead – Enlighten and more recently have taken the role of BTEC Quality Nominee. 

When I joined the College I was inspired by the possibility of being able to have a positive impact upon young people, and becoming a Progress Tutor was career progression and a further opportunity to do this on a daily basis. I was encouraged to consider teaching by colleagues, and they really encouraged me to believe I had the potential to be a great teacher. This support and challenge of colleagues is something that I really love about the staff community, and I received brilliant help and advice as an NQT to really develop my teaching practices and deliver more for students. 

The opportunity then arose to be a Faculty Enlighten Lead and I was attracted to the post as it was an opportunity to make a difference to more students, outside of the ones I taught. One of my favourite aspects of this role was our work around mental health. Our whole community engaged in discussion, debate and exploration of the importance of good mental health and it was incredibly powerful and I know will have a life-long impact on our students. 

Now I am a BTEC Quality Nominee, which is a real opportunity to help raise standards even further for our young people. We are a College that is genuinely transforming lives through education, enrichment and enlightenment and as a staff member I am proud to see the College values reflected in our daily behaviours as staff, and the high expectations of our students and each other.”