From student to teacher: how work experience at NCFE has supported my career aspirations

Ahead of Youth Employment Week, we spoke with Kate Queen, who recently completed work experience here at NCFE, to learn more about how she found the week and the knowledge that she gained to support her on her path to becoming a teacher. 

My name is Kate Queen and I’m a first-year student studying English Literature, English Language, and Philosophy and Ethics A Levels at Stockton Sixth Form College. Throughout my time at college so far, I have learnt a variety of different skills and experienced many different opportunities.  

Yet for me, I’ve always believed that work experience is significant to my own personal career journey, with regards to helping to create a sense of understanding and participation within the fields that I am interested in.  

Therefore, whilst I was unable to complete work experience during my time in school due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I decided to use my own time in the summer holidays between leaving school and starting college to complete a full week’s work experience with NCFE.  

Gaining knowledge and understanding 

During my time at NCFE, I had the opportunity to speak to and spend time with many different departments, which really helped to give me an insight into how things work ‘behind the scenes’. I spent time with the Customer Support team, the End-Point Assessment department and the External Quality Assurance team, amongst others.  

I had the chance to participate in and observe team meetings, one of which was focused on grade boundaries and how they are determined. As a student working towards achieving the criteria within such grade boundaries, I found it interesting to see things from an alternative perspective! 

It was also extremely useful to observe and engage with many teams within NCFE, giving me an insight into what a workplace looks like and how it functions.  

Preparing for a career in teaching 

After completing my studies at college, I’m hoping to progress on to university to study English Literature at degree level before completing a PGCE, which will then enable me to become a secondary school English teacher.  

During my work experience, I was able to talk to many different team members, some who even had first-hand experience in the career of teaching. This was helpful and gave me an inside perspective of the career and its benefits and challenges.  

I found the entirety of the experience significantly helpful, and my time spent with NCFE has given me experience and knowledge which I can include within my UCAS application and personal statement. Overall, during my work experience with NCFE, I’ve improved my understanding of the education landscape, and feel more prepared for the workplace and everything that comes with it. 

You can find out more about Youth Employment Week on our dedicated webpage.

Pictured: Kate Queen