Work Matters: Where do I go from here?

Experience

I left school at 16 and tried hairdressing for a while but I decided it wasn't really for me. While I was at school I had received some careers advice about working with children and it was something that appealed to me. I had quite a bit of experience of summer jobs looking after children and I felt it was something that I would enjoy and be able to progress with.

Initially I worked in a large day nursery and while there I gained my NVQ qualifications and moved between the baby room, toddler and older toddler and pre-school room.

What I do

My first job of the day is to sort out breakfast for the children and welcome them into the nursery. While we are structured around meals, nappy changing and sleep time, the children can direct their play and activities however they wish. It is my responsibility to set out and organise many of the activities and to ensure they are clean and safe. The emphasis is on free-flow play and moving learning out of doors into the garden.

I work with a key group of four children and do a lot of observation work with them. I write up their developmental checklists and closely follow their progress. I also talk to parents who are always keen to know how they have spent their day and how they are getting on.

I find working with the older, pre-school children the most rewarding and enjoy my job because each day is different.

Ambition

I feel sure I want to develop a career in the childcare sector. I recognise that it will be important for me to gain more qualifications. I will look at part-time courses or possibly full-time, with a view to eventually entering teaching or perhaps moving up the management ladder.

OPTIONS

Sometimes people find themselves on a career or training pathway that doesn't quite meet with their satisfaction. This was Hayley's experience, and she has since found that working with children is a more suitable career for her. As a younger person starting out in a childcare career, it is useful to think about experiences you may have had that could help you decide whether you would be suited to this kind of work and training. Babysitting, caring for siblings, being involved with children's clubs or helping in creches are all valuable ways to gain some understanding of the skills, knowledge and personal characteristics necessary for the job. These will help you decide if you like children enough to work with them and demonstrate to a prospective employer/training provider what you have learned from these experiences.

Gaining qualifications at level 2 and 3 will now help Hayley as she thinks about expanding her work experiences and opportunities.

Nanny

Working with children in their own home, as a live-in or live-out nanny, can be a rewarding though quite demanding role. It requires a good level of personal initiative, integrity and responsibility. A family will employ a nanny either through an agency or directly. Though hours can sometimes be long and varied, there are often opportunities to travel and be involved with wider family activities. This is a job that very much suits those who have plenty of energy and few ties, particularly if the job involves extensive travel and live-in arrangements.

- Salary range: from £300 per week in London area (£200 other areas)

Deputy nursery manager

Hayley may like to take on more responsibility in the daycare sector, once she has gained a few years experience after qualifying. In a position such as deputy manager she would have to demonstrate previous supervisory experience and working with pre-school age children in particular. Key responsibilities would be to co-ordinate curriculum activities for the nursery, liaise with parents and carers and manage staff and resources. Additional training in staff support, management and ongoing professional development would be necessary to support her practice. This role would provide excellent experience from which to build the next steps of her career.

- Salary range: from £17,000 (varies by area/setting)

Hospital play assistant

Working in a hospital would require Hayley to translate her knowledge of providing appropriate activities for children, and establishing good communication with parents, to the quite different environment of sick children's care. She would be required to support the work of a qualified hospital play therapist and could later consider additional training in this field, such as a Diploma in Specialised Play for Sick Children and Young People. The work involves reassuring and settling children, planning and preparing games and activities, observing children as they play and liaising with other medical professionals.

- Salary range: from £16,400

- Tina Jefferies, The Red Space Company www.redspacecompany.com, e-mail info@redspacecompany.com

Name: Hayley Fry
Age: 19
Current role: Nursery nurse in 30-place day nursery
Qualifications: NVQ 2 and 3