Work Based Learning Guides Lee's Career Working with Children

20 September 2005 Pictured, Lee Meredith with pre school group children Ben Lloyd and Isabelle Andrew

A 20-year-old Mid Wales man is using work based learning to develop a career working with children in the female dominated domain of pre-school education.

Lee Meredith believes he has found his true vocation in life after converting a work placement at Guilsfield Primary School into a job as assistant pre-school group leader and lunchtime supervisor.

He got his first taste of working with children when taking a BTEC First Diploma in Caring at Coleg Powys, Newtown. A 13-week work placement arranged through post-16 education and training body ELWa’s Skillbuild programme followed.

He then progressed to a Foundation Modern Apprenticeship with National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) level two in early years child care and education and has now started a Modern Apprenticeship with an NVQ level three.

“I love my job because you learn something new every day when you are working with children,” he said. “You never know what they are going to come up with.

“My ultimate aim is to carry on working with children and to get the best job available to someone with my skills and qualifications. I think training and qualifications are very important to give you the skills to do your job properly.

“It has given me the skills to communicate and interact with young children and their parents and I also have a good knowledge of the regulations relating to my work.”

Lee also enjoys interaction with children when working at his father Geoff’s Celtic Food Bar café in Shrewsbury.

His work based training programme is being delivered for ELWa by Powys Training in Welshpool, whose training officer Janis Gwynn is delighted with his progress.

“It’s so nice to see a young man rather than just young women working with children and enjoying his job so much,” she added. “He has such a good rapport with the children and is pleased to share his computer skills with them.”

School headteacher Christine Robinson said Lee had developed into a valued member of staff. “His confidence has grown tremendously over the past two years and he was the best candidate when a vacancy came up in the pre school group,” she added.

ELWa Modern Apprenticeships are available to individuals of all ages who want to train. Last year alone, 7,000 young people and adults completed Modern Apprenticeships.