Bullies have made Emma determined to work with children

Posted on by karen.smith

Emma Brooks at work in the nursery with Isla Colbridge, aged three.

Being a target for bullies just because both her parents are deaf has made nursery worker Emma Brooks determined to work with children, especially those with impaired hearing.

Emma, 24, who is developing a career that she loves at Jolly Tots Nursery in Llandrindod Wells thanks to the Welsh Government’s apprenticeship programme, has been shortlisted for a prestigious Apprentice of the Year award in Wales.

She is one of 36 finalists in 13 categories of the Apprenticeship Awards Cymru 2013, organised jointly by the Welsh Government and the National Training Federation for Wales (NTfW). The winners will be announced at a high profile awards ceremony at the Celtic Manor Resort, Newport on Friday, October 18.

The awards recognise the outstanding achievements of learners, employers and providers involved in the delivery of quality apprenticeships and other work-based learning programmes across Wales. The Apprenticeships Programme is funded by the Welsh Government with the support of the European Social Fund.

Emma admits taking the wrong path for a time after leaving school, but a work experience placement at a school and nursery on the Youth Skillbuild Programme, arranged by Powys Training, got her back on track.

She secured a part-time and then full time post at Jolly Tots Nursery where owner Emma Jones encouraged her to sign up for a Foundation Apprenticeship in Childcare and then an Apprenticeship in Children’s Care Learning and Development, both of which she has completed.

She now plans to continue her learning journey to achieve her goal of working with hearing impaired children. As part of her nursery role she works with children who have speech, language and communications difficulties and has taken on more responsibilities as a room leader and superviser.

“I have been told that I have completely changed in the last five years,” said Emma, who is proud of her personal and career development. “I have come a long way with my work and have overcome lots of barriers throughout my life which have made me the person I am today. Without my apprenticeship I would not have my ideal job or the responsibilities that go with it.”

Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology, Ken Skates said: “The Apprenticeship Awards Cymru remind us of the incredible wealth of talent that Wales has to offer and the outstanding achievements of Wales’ learners, employers and learning providers.

“Apprenticeships play an integral role in our economy. Not only do they provide essential skills and qualifications, but are in themselves life-changing opportunities for young people and, for employers, a major investment that’s paying real dividend to their bottom line and in the skills of their workforce.

“We know that apprenticeships deliver real business benefits and that’s why the Welsh Government, with support from the European Social Fund, continues to invest heavily in opportunities for young people to take up apprenticeships and continues to support employers who want to invest in the future of their workforce.

“Through their passion and dedication, the finalists announced at this year’s awards will inspire countless others to strive for excellence and demonstrate the tremendous impact that vocational training can have. I wish all of our finalists the very best as they continue to make great contributions in their chosen fields.”

The other Apprentice of the Year finalists are April Davies from Dolfor, Newtown, who works for a farm and ice cream business and young engineer Aron Wyn Jones from Blaenau Ffestiniog.

Showcasing excellence in skills development in Wales, the awards are sponsored by Pearson PLC with support from media partner, Media Wales.

More than 300 key stakeholders from the vocational education and training sector across Wales are expected to attend the high profile awards ceremony, where guests will dine out with chefs from the Welsh National Culinary Team.

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