Liam has worked as an External Educator at Heart of England Training for almost two years, from a background in sports coaching and as a teaching assistant, which led quite naturally to specialising in our Teaching Assistant and PE Teaching Assistant apprenticeship qualifications.
Before joining the team of Educators at HOET, Liam graduated with a degree in Sports Performance & Coaching. He began as a sports coach within primary schools before becoming a teaching assistant in several Northampton schools – often working with SEN pupils.
Liam joined HOET not too long before the country went into lockdown, so his experience has been interesting: witnessing the initial novelty of remote teaching (which is highly-suited to long-distance learners) and the development of the new ‘hybrid’ model which blends both in-person and remote delivery of education sessions.
“This is the best company I have worked for by far,” said Liam. “It’s a very inclusive company with a positive, supportive environment.” He emphasised the breadth of training opportunities and how the team of External Educators knows each other’s strengths, and that there is an enormous sense of “team spirit”.
What Liam enjoys about his role at HOET is guiding his learners through a journey, and watching them develop themselves in their job. Apprenticeships are important to Liam because they are about specific skills and knowledge, enabling people to develop both in themselves and in their job. He enjoys sharing feedback with his learners’ employers and these conversations result in further development and growth.
“People don’t always appreciate how much they actually do until they begin to reflect on the skills, knowledge and behaviours they are already utilising in their job role…with an apprenticeship, you really get to see the benefits of what you’re actually learning.”
Overall, Liam loves building relationships with his learners, and feels a strong sense of pride when they complete their qualification and he can see how far they have come.
