Determination leads to caring career

Posted on by karen.smith

A teenager, who is developing a caring career thanks to support from the Steps to Employment programme, has been shortlisted for a prestigious national award.

Katrina Kind, 21, is one of 28 finalists in nine categories of the Apprenticeship Awards Cymru, organised by the Welsh Government in partnership with the National Training Federation for Wales (NTfW).

The Apprenticeship Awards Cymru recognise the outstanding achievements of learners, employers and providers involved in the delivery of quality Apprenticeships and Traineeships across Wales. Apprenticeship and Traineeship programmes in Wales are part funded by the European Social Fund through the Welsh Government.

The winners will be announced at a high profile awards presentation ceremony at Venue Cymru, Llandudno on Wednesday, October 24, where the winners of the National Training Awards for Wales will also be recognised. The joint awards which will be attended by around 300 key stakeholders from the vocational education and training sector across Wales.

Sponsor of the Apprenticeship Awards Cymru, which aim to showcase excellence in skills development in Wales, is Pearson and media partner is Media Wales.

A finalist in the Steps to Employment Learner of the Year category, Katrina loves working as a carer at The New Cranford residential home in Colwyn Bay, but just a few years ago securing such a job seemed impossible. She had moved with her family many times as a child and left school with no qualifications.

She worked on a fairground but decided that she wanted to be a carer so approached North Wales Training to see if it could help her get the right qualifications.

“My brother had done some training before so I knew where to go,” said Katrina. “I wanted to be a carer but knew I needed help to improve my skills and the Steps to Employment programme has helped me with this and developed my confidence.”

Katrina is dyslexic and worked hard to improve her literacy and numeracy, as well as achieving a City & Guilds qualification in Health and Social Care. After a successful work placement at The New Cranford, she secured a job there earlier this year.

“I love my work, it really is great,” said Katrina. “I work with older people with Alzheimer’s and Dementia and I help take them out and get them up. I like getting to know people, helping them and looking after them.”

Barbara Lang from North Wales Training said: “Katrina’s circumstances were quite unusual in that it was her family’s lifestyle rather than her own ability that had affected her learning and opportunities for employment.

“It took great determination and courage to come to us and embrace learning and I’m sure that now Katrina has taken this step she will continue to make great strides in her career.”

Deputy Minister for Skills, Jeff Cuthbert said: “These awards recognise excellence by individuals, employers and learning providers in delivering training. I am delighted with the standard of this year’s finalists and the variety across all ages and sectors, which shows the strength of the skills being delivered in Wales.

“All the finalists have an inspiring story to tell and are great ambassadors for Apprenticeship and other programmes in Wales.

“The skills acquired through programmes, such as Apprenticeships, provide great benefits to individuals and employers, helping make Welsh businesses more competitive.

“The Welsh Government is committed to creating more apprenticeship opportunities for young people in Wales and continuing to support employers who are willing to offer high quality apprenticeship places.”

The NTfW is a network 116 quality assured work based training providers with links to 35,000 employers across Wales.

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