Wednesday, March 9, 2011 worcesternews.co.

uk 17
18 worcesternews.co.uk
Want to work with children?
Fair can help in your search
T
HIS year’s Every
Child Matters
Careers Fair looks as
if it’s going to be as
successful as ever
and organisers are hoping it
will help even more people
discover their dream career.
Previous exhibitors
Connexions are excited to be
returning to the fair and the
event is also welcoming new
exhibitors such as the
National Apprenticeship
Service.
Last year, more than 400
people looking for information
and advice about a possible
career working with children,
young people and their
SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT
Council’s early years and
childcare service and your
Worcester News, brought
together 32 exhibitors ranging
from universities to charities
all offering training and advice
to answer questions and help
people on the path to their
perfect career.
Rachael Oakley, workforce
support officer at
Worcestershire County
Council, said: “We're hoping
this year’s event will be as
PREPARATIONS: Careers adviser Uzma Asghar, left, talks to successful as last year when it
Jess Kings and Dannie Evans ahead of the Every Child Matters
was held at the Worcester
Careers Fair on March 16. Picture: John Anyon. 09217401
Racecourse for the first time.
families found the answers at very first time. The event, “The venue was fantastic
the event, which was held at which is organised by and we hope that it will be just
Worcester Racecourse for the Worcestershire County as packed with visitors again
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
in 2011, particularly as we’ll
have a wider range of
exhibitors than ever before.
“The fair is a perfect
opportunity for people
wanting to work with
children, young people and
families, at any point in their
career, to come along and
speak to training groups,
voluntary organisations and
many others, who will be
available to answer any
questions.
“We look forward to seeing
people on the day.”
This year’s fair will take
place on Wednesday, March 16,
from 10am to 3pm.
ELIZABETH SWEETMAN
Wednesday, March 9, 2011 SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT worcesternews.co.uk 19

Charity can train

you as a volunteer
H
OME-Start Worcester and
Wychavon is a registered
charitywhich has, for 27
years, offered support,
friendship and practical
help to parents with young children, in
Worcester, Droitwich, Pershore and
Evesham.
It offers a unique service, recruiting
and training volunteers – who are
usually parents themselves – to visit
families who have at least one child
under five to offer informal, friendly
and confidential support in the family
home. To help give children the best
possible start in life Home-Start
supports parents as they grow in
confidence, strengthen their
relationships with their children and
widen their links within the
community.
If you have parenting experience,
and two to three hours a week to offer,
Home-Start would love to hear from
you. Volunteers are always needed to
meet a growing demand from families
who face difficult times and stressful
situations.
Jess Holden, manager, said: “We ask
volunteers to complete an enhanced
criminal record bureau check and we
take up references before they join our
tried and tested preparation course.
“The course offers an introduction to
volunteering, working with children
and families in a befriending role, and
is also enjoyable and thought
provoking.”
Home-Start staff will be on hand at
the Every Child Matters Careers Fair
to talk about how volunteering fits
into career plans.They will also have
leaflets and information available
about the training it offers.
Many of its volunteers go on to paid
work with families and children and
they find that the experience they gain
with Home-Start is very helpful.
Anyone interested in becoming a
volunteerdoesn’t have to be planning
to progress their career.
Mrs Holden said: “We need people
from every walk of life, in all age
groups and with a range of different
skills and experiences, so contact
Home-Start now to find out how you
can help.
“We’ve had an excellent response
from previous Every Child Matters
fairs and volunteers who came forward
at last year’s event are now busy
visiting families and really making a
difference.”
Home-Start is also about to launch a
fast-track course with two sessions a
week over four weeks.
One session each week is held during
the daytime and one in the evening.
This makes it easier for those with busy
lives to juggle their commitments over
a shorter period in order to make time
for the training course.
It will run in the early summer, so
that volunteers are ready for the next
peak in demand from families which, in
past years, has come in the autumn.
For information, call at the Home-
Start stand at the fair, telephone 01905 HELP AND ADVICE: Home-Start is able
29377 and ask for Jess Holden or e-mail to offer parents informal, friendly and
home-startworcs@btconnect.com. confidential support in the family home.

BE A
VOLUNTEER:
If you have
parenting
experience
and two to
three hours a
week to offer,
then Home-
Start would
love to hear
from you.
20 worcesternews.co.uk SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Your reward is in having a

forever challenging career
A
RE you thinking
about what career
you want or are you
looking for a change
of direction in your
working life?
If so, then when you visit the
Every Child Matters Careers
Fair at Worcester Racecourse
on Wednesday, March 16, visit
the Workforce & Practice
Development stand and see
what you can find out to take
you on the path to your new
profession.
Working with children and
young people can be both
rewarding and challenging,
REWARDING: Workforce & Practice Development help put you particularly if you choose to
pn the path to your desired career of working with youngsters. work as a children’s social
worker. But what skills and
qualifications will you need to
work in children’s social care?
Being a social worker means
that every day is different and
you will need a wide range of
skills to deal with a variety of
situations.
You will need to be a good
listener and be interested in
people.
You will also have to deal
with families who may not
want to change habits and
behaviour that has been going
on for years.
But it can be the most
rewarding job in the world and
you will make a difference to
the lives of children, young
people and their families.
To qualify as a social worker,
you will need a degree in
social work.
This can be done with a
three-year undergraduate
degree or a two-year post
graduate degree.
You may also be able to gain
qualifications while working
and there may be some
funding available to help pay
for it all.
Talk to Workforce & Practice
Development staff at the
careers fair and they will be
able to tell you in more detail
about the qualifications you
need to set you on the right
path.

Students able to
reach potential
KIDDERMINSTER College aims to
give students the best possible chance
of success within a range of early years
courses.
If you are thinking of going into
employment or onto higher education
– either straight from school or as a
career change – staff can help you to
achieve your aims and reach your full
potential.
Kidderminster College offers a range
of vocational courses to enable
students to work in a variety of
childcare fields.
With more people looking for good
quality childcare to help with
balancing careers and family life there
is a growing need for early years
practitioners. Stricter ACHEIVE SUCCESS: Enrol on an early
TURN TO PAGE 21 years course at Kidderminster College.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Get yourself on course
for a future in childcare
T
HE Academy of Care at South
Worcestershire College
consists of an array of full-
time and substantive part-
time courses to develop the
children and young people’s workforce
in the 21st century.
This includes people working in the
nursery and pre-school environments,
home-based childcare and as teaching
assistants in a school setting.
The academy delivers courses at the
college’s two campuses in Evesham
and Malvern and as an outreach
provision for Worcester, Bromsgrove,
Kidderminster and Hereford.
In addition to college based
qualifications the academy offers
competence based qualifications for
workplace learners.
These have been extremely
successful enabling the learner to earn
while they work.
The academy is about to launch an
exciting new apprenticeship
programme to meet the needs of
employers and learners.
All its qualifications give students
the opportunity to develop skills not
only in caring for children but their
Proper training given
FROM PAGE 20
regulations in the care sector means
that most employers require
appropriately trained staff.
The college aims to meet the needs of
employers with the courses it offers
while a wide variety of work experience
opportunities combined with learning
facilities in it well resourced early year
classrooms provide an excellent
training environment.
Kidderminster College provides level
one, two and three programmes using
both BTEC and CACHE as its
awarding bodies. There are a wide
SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT worcesternews.co.uk 21
own personal learning and thinking
skills, team working and developing
those all important skills for life in
English and maths.
One student said: “I enjoyed
everything about the course, especially
the practical activities.
“We learnt how to run practical
sessions for children and how to help
them be creative by making things
such as wall displays.”
Progression is provided through the LEARNING
academy in some aspects of the CURVE: Enrol
provision from level one through to as a student at
level four and five foundation degrees. the Academy of
If you are visiting the Every Child Care at South
Matters Careers Fair at Worcester Worcestershire
Racecourse then make sure you visit College in
the South Worcestershire College Evesham or
stand. Malvern.
Staff will be able to offer prospective
students advice and guidance on the
qualifications to best suit their needs.
Experienced lecturers will also be on
hand to offer advice and provide ideas
about how to shape your future career
working with young people.
Visitors will also be able to read some
of the case studies from past students
and see how far they have progressed.
range of progression routes to
employment including working as
early years practitioners in nurseries,
working abroad as children’s holiday
representatives, as independent
nannies or working alongside teachers
in a year one or two reception class.
Higher education opportunities
include access to primary teaching,
nursing, social work and other related
areas.
For further advice and guidance,
contact the college and it can arrange
an interview to discuss requirements
and hopefully meet a student’s needs.
22 worcesternews.co.uk SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT
We’ll start you on the road
to a truly inspirational job
Rachael Oakley says that next week’s Every Child Matters Careers Fair is the place to start looking for a rewarding role
T
HE main purpose of the
Every Child Matters Careers
Fair is to provide information
and advice to anyone who
wants to work with children,
young people and families.
The recruitment team at
Worcestershire County Council’s
early years and childcare service will
at this year’s event on March 16 to
provide free and impartial information
about training, qualifications and
career opportunities. Visitors may also
find that signing up for the free
Choices introductory programme is an
ideal starting point.
The programme is a fantastic
opportunity for anyone considering
working with children, young people
and families to gain practical
information and advice about
voluntary opportunities,
qualifications, short courses, career
progression and much more.
Those who go along to the fair will
gain valuable information and
suggestions about working in early
years education, childcare, playwork,
youth work, working in schools and
family support work.
A huge benefit is that local speakers
attend and talk about where they
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
work, their job role and how their
careers have progressed. This can be
very inspiring.
Careers in this field are challenging,
rewarding, important and most of all
enjoyable and are highly
recommended.
Over the last five years the Every
Child Matters Careers Fair has seen a
wide range of exhibitors, many of
whom have attended before. This year
the vent has been expanded and new
exhibitors include the National
Apprenticeship Service, Teaching
Assistants and Workforce Practice and
Development.
Rachael Oakley, worforce
development officer at the early years
and childcare servic, said: “We are
hoping this year’s event will be even
more successful than in previous
years.With a wide variety of exhibitors
available throughout the day to
answer questions, we are encouraging
people to come along and find out more.”
Those that can’t make it to the fair
can request information by calling the
Family Information Service on 01905
790560, e-mailing
familyinfo@worcestershire.gov.uk, or
logging on to worcestershire.gov.uk/
familyinfo.
LOTS OF SMILES:
Working with
children and young
people is always so
very rewarding.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011 worcesternews.co.uk 23