Donna joined the External Educator team at Heart of England Training 6 months ago, having spent the 7 previous years as HR Manager at Avon Valley School in Rugby.
Donna started her training and assessing work in 1986, working for the civil service: she was involved with the introduction of NVQs into the employment service. At HOET, Donna now passes-on her experience and knowledge to learners on Associate Project Management, School Business Professional and Management apprenticeships.
“We’re on this journey together,” said Donna about her relationship with her learners. “I don’t feel like I go to work – I feel like I’m simply helping people to achieve their goals.” Donna has enjoyed building-up relationships with her learners, working with a whole range of personalities and ages with a huge geographical spread. She said “they’re different from school kids!”
Donna champions apprenticeships because, firstly, not everyone is academic. Furthermore, apprenticeships provide of a route for people to gain recognition for being able to do their job; sometimes people have worked their way up through their careers without necessarily gaining a formal qualification – and an apprenticeship can boost that recognition and formal achievement.
Donna has found everybody within the HOET team hugely supportive during her first 6 months, thanking Liam, Pippa and Sue in particular. She feels valued at HOET, and gets this impression from everybody around her.
