Whole Education

Tracey started her first official qualifications in community work with 10 years of on-the-job learning behind her. It eventually led her to enrol on short courses, then for a degree in community work.

The decade of child minding and voluntary community work made things a lot easier. She explains: “I was better prepared than most new students and had all my experience to bring to the university course which I could share with them. It was helpful to have done the practice first because the theory side tied in to what I’d been doing. I had been practising community work all this time and I didn’t know it was a profession.”

So the academic elements of the course helped her articulate and explore her practical achievements. And the hands-on elements of the course helped her build on her previous experience.

“As part of my course I did voluntary work with young people and after a year they asked me if I’d like paid work. They saw that I was getting results.”

Now Tracey’s using learning by doing to motivate disaffected young people. In a summer project, for example, students did environmental work in the Lake District. “It’s learning, but making it fun. The young people absolutely love it.”

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