Rene Coles
Enrolling for a Maths GCSE at Huntingdon Regional College when she was 39 proved to be a pivotal moment for Rene Coles who was stuck in a job as a car park attendant which she didn’t enjoy.
Gaining a Grade C gave her the confidence to follow up with a BTEC in Childcare – working part time while she learnt – which she passed and received the Student of the Year Award. Next came an English GCSE to improve her literacy, which she passed with a Grade B.
Rene had spent 18 years at Waitrose, but now she is working as a Health Visitor Assistant and also worked as a Smoking Cessation Facilitator. Her managers spotted Rene’s skills and asked her to facilitate training sessions for GPs and Practice Nurses. To help her improve her skills, she signed up for the City & Guilds Introductory course in Adult Teaching and continued to complete Levels 1,2, and 3, then graduated.
She graduated as an adult tutor in 2007 and is now working at Huntingdon Town Children’s Centre delivering courses for parents to help develop the relationship between them and their children.
In the last few years, Rene has done courses in Community Development, Counselling for Non-Counsellors and a City & Guilds Work with Parents course. This year she is taking a City & Guilds Level 2 in Learning Support and an Introductory Diploma in Coaching and Mentoring. Rene has also appeared on a Teachers TV programme about delivering healthy eating to nursery children.
Rene said, “Learning is fun and exciting; I am always looking for the next course I can do. The learning I have done has allowed me to gain so much knowledge… it’s fantastic. Not only do I have a better job, I can have a nice holiday and car; something I never dreamt I would ever have.”