“BTEC has revitalized my love of learning and achieving.”

Anna was born in Poland and is an adult learner apprentice studying for a BTEC Learning and Development Practitioner Level 3. She works and studies part time and her study is sponsored by her employer – Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust.

Anna has come back to education later in life: ‘I always wanted to be a well-educated person and I passionately believe that learning improves our lives’. She has completed a Master’s Degree and Postgraduate Degree in SEN Pedagogy and Speech Therapy at the Silesian University in Poland but she would still like to achieve more.

What are Anna’s thoughts about BTEC?: ‘I think it is a fantastic way of learning with clear standards to follow. Lots of feedback is provided and the goals are achievable. All of us are different, we learn differently, and I find that so fascinating. I have also learned about reflecting processes on my course and through that have learned a lot about myself. I’ve been able to use these skills to plan my career progression including preparing a Personal Development Plan for myself’ she adds.

Anna’s passion for learning has also fuelled her career: ‘I love learning and I think that we learn every day. I like to help people, so the Learning and Development Practitioner qualifications are perfect for me. I love to see people progressing and achieving their full potential. I have been allowed to have contact with learners, look at their work and feel like a Learning and Development Practitioner with a second assessor supporting me all way through’.

As a single parent working full-time Anna has a lot to juggle although she does fit in a bit of reading where she gets the opportunity ‘to travel in time’ and enjoy different situations and imaginary places through the pages of a book. Her aspiration is to become a Manager in the NHS one day where she can use her qualifications to support her staff and make a positive difference and she has a ‘secret dream’ to study at university one day.

Anna sums up her BTEC experience: ‘There have been points in my course where I had to stop and smile to myself when I realised I had learned something new and important. The teachers are fantastically supportive and the element of surprise at achieving and developing new skills has been life changing for me. It is definitely never too late to study and work on yourself. A BTEC can help you achieve your dreams – just go for it!’.