Philip Dunn

I have always been a believer in Apprenticeships. If you want a career that you enjoy, then this is a great way to get the qualification and the experience at the same time. It's a great way to start your career, or if like me, you are after a career change.  Best of Luck!

Philip found his way onto the Teaching Assistant Level 3 Apprenticeship at Ripley St Thomas Church of England School with Lancaster & Morecambe College later in life as a result of wanting a career change. He says that the Apprenticeship opportunity came about almost by accident, and as if it was meant to be.

One day I picked my children up from primary school and was thinking what a nice job the Teaching Assistants have. That same day, my wife came back from work, and said she had been chatting to a work colleague about me, and they asked if I had thought about being a Teaching Assistant. I did some research that same evening, and the first thing that came up was the Teaching Assistant Level 3 Apprenticeship at Ripley St Thomas School in Lancaster, which was offered through Lancaster & Morecambe College. Up until that point, I had not thought about a career in teaching at all, but it did appeal to me, so I looked further into it.

Philip's career route after school had taken a very different pathway, as he explains that he took the long route in education, as he went to college and had to resit his English GCSE. Once he had passed that, he then went on to do a BTEC Business course at college. and progressed onto university to do the HND, followed by a Degree in Event Management. He struggled with learning throughout his school life, and at university was diagnosed with Dyslexia. Once he left university, he then worked for a variety of companies, including The Comedy Store, Brockholes - Lancashire Wildlife Trust and Lancaster University in various events-related roles.

Philip applied for the Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship at Ripley St Thomas Church of England School, and to his surprise, was offered the job, which was the first step into his new career. In his role as a Teaching Assistant, Philip has the opportunity to work with pupils from Year 7 up to Year 13, across a wide range of subjects. The main aim of his role is to support the pupils in accessing their learning to the best of their ability. He enjoys the variety in the job, and he says:

I have such an amazing time doing my Apprenticeship at a high school, as every day is different. One day, I can be supporting pupils in subjects such as Food Technology, where I help them to prepare and make different dishes. Other days, I can be working in the Agriculture and Horticulture department, and helping pupils to weigh lambs, plant seeds, or even bathe a bearded dragon.

Most of all, I enjoy working with the amazing pupils at Ripley St Thomas School, especially seeing them understand something that they have struggled with. I never go home without feeling like the day has had a positive effect on someone. 

The Teaching Assistant Level 3 Apprenticeship has helped Philip professionally by giving him the courage to change his career, as it provided him with the skills and experience to do a job in a new field of work. Since finishing the Apprenticeship, he has applied for and started a new role as a Higher Level Teaching Assistant, which would not have been possible without the qualifications I gained through the apprenticeship, and he says:

The Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship has given me the chance to hone my communication skills, as well as other skills that I have gained over the years from working in various industries, so that I can better communicate and support pupils, teachers and professionals in an Educational setting.  

Philip says that his biggest accomplishment during the Apprenticeship was passing the qualification before his mum sadly passed away, and he is a firm believer that it is never too late to change your career to something you enjoy and will provide you with job satisfaction.

I have always been a believer in Apprenticeships. If you want a career that you enjoy, then this is a great way to get the qualification and the experience at the same time. It's a great way to start your career, or if like me you are after a career change. Best of Luck!