Mabela Nsema (London borough of Newham) and Christine Tama (London Borough of Hackney) are both 24 years old and both successfully completed the ABC Level 2 Certificate in Working with Young People.

"Undertaking the Level 2 Working with Young People with St John Ambulance has significantly increased my chances of becoming employed under the Youth Work umbrella. I have spent the last 6 months volunteering for a charity that delivers workshops to young people at risk of dropping out of education and found that I thoroughly enjoyed working with this age group and helping them improve their personal and social skills.

Even though I've been gaining experience, I needed some time type of Youth Work qualification to complement it and this course came at the perfect time offering me exactly what I needed. It was very practical which made it enjoyable and created an environment that was a lot easier to learn regardless of there being more pressure because we were doing it in a short amount of time. There was always help available from staff and tutors plus the other learners offered extra support; we affectively worked as a group.

I would recommend this course to anyone who wants to go into any type of Youth Work or that wants to work with young people. It covers legislation and activities alike, equipping you with everything you need in your arsenal to progress in this career."

Christine Tama

 

"Completing the Level 2 Certificate in Working with Young People has enable work further my career path. Prior to the course although I had over 5 years of experience in working with young people, I lacked the qualifications that could secure a job. Doing this course made me realise that the 5 years were not at all a waste of time. In fact the course had helped me better understand some areas that I was not so confident in.

The tutors were amazingly supportive, honest and encouraging throughout the course it was evident that they were highly experienced in the area and that they really wanted us to work in our full potential.

Since then I have enrolled into the course CACHE in Childcare and education and I am also working towards securing a job in a nursery. In addition, I am currently seeking placement in youth work settings so that I can practice the many skills and knowledge that I have gained from the Level 2 course in Working with Young People."

I found the course very useful, as it not only prepared me for the course I am going to do but it also strengthened my interpersonal and professional development. Now I am confident in my skills and wish to share them in various work settings.

The unit that I most enjoyed was Designing and Delivering a Programme of Peer Education as it allowed me to use what I had learned from the previous weeks from Safeguarding to Principles and implement it. I also enjoyed it because it was fun, exciting, for the children and as well as myself and now I feel prepared to embark on effectively designing and delivering other programmes and activities of my choice

As for the future, after completing the Childcare and education course, I am considering going into management to set up a nursery, as well as going into teaching in both Primary and Secondary school settings.

Mabela Nsema