New volunteering opportunity

So today I started at the Leamington Spa college campus which is part of the Warwickshire College Group. I asked if I could come in and help gain some experience with the BTEC Fashion and Textile Groups. I got there at 8:45 and finished at about 3, it will normally be 4 but the dog needs to go to the vets to get some stitches checked out.

It was interesting to compare the A-level students and then the BTEC students. I spoke to everyone on the year 1 and year 2 of the course and asked them what they were doing, why, what they planned to do afterwards. Out of all the students, not one of them wants to do Textiles at University. Its either Fashion or the business/marketing side. Is this indicative across the UK? Will there be a shortage of Textile designers in the forthcoming years? Let's hope so!

I asked the current lecturers if they had seen a difference between students of yesteryear and the ones currently coming through the system. It seems that the 'Snowflake' phenomenon is alive and well in the college system as well as in the schools. They have definitely seen a shift in students from getting stuck in to the ones now that think something will appear at the touch of a button. 

I'm also glad to be having the MA experience when I go to schools and colleges because it means that I have a slight handle on modern influencers, techniques and the fashion and textiles scene. It also means I can hold my own when talking to the students and the lecturers.

I think the next step for me will be to become a jobbing lecturer, finding a niche in the market that I can lecture on - what has been lacking so far in my MA course? 
The technician at the college is currently taking her dettl qualification towards becoming a teacher. Dettl is a part time way of gaining a PGCE or teacher qualification. I'm not sure if this is the road I want to go down..... A lot of the lecturers at Uni have an MA and then work towards gaining their PGCE whilst working.

I'm back next week and I have to have faith in my abilities - I do know more than the students, its just getting that info across in a manner that shows I know what I am doing.




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