Every month, we put the spotlight on a member of the Parenta team. This time around, it’s one of our assessors – Pippa Cain. Pippa makes sure that our learners receive the right support and guidance to enable them to successfully complete their apprenticeship.
What’s your role within Parenta?
My role within Parenta is to build a positive relationship with learners so that I can assess their performance and knowledge in line with occupational standards. I carry out teaching and learning to improve performance where needed and I support management in preparing staff for the workplace. A key role as an assessor is also to ensure my own CPD is kept current and relevant.
How many learners would you typically visit each month?
In a typical month, I would probably visit on average around 20-25 learners. My caseload is quite high at the moment so I’m out most days of the week.
What support does Parenta provide for learners?
I feel Parenta offers learners a full package. On sign-up, they are made to feel welcomed and valued and encouraged to ask questions and be proactive about their learning. Every interaction they have with their assessor is about supporting knowledge, understanding and performance within practice, listening to concerns about job roles or personal lives, supporting strategies for time management skills, meeting individual learning styles and needs and being flexible with the way we gain knowledge. Once complete, the learner has a sense of pride in their own achievements and a ‘can do’ attitude.
Could you give an example of where you’ve had to adapt the course to the learner’s ability or learning preferences?
I am working with a learner at the moment who has a severe stammer and low self-esteem from bad experiences at school. She physically can’t talk in front of the Dictaphone or on the telephone. We communicate via emails, texts and WhatsApp. I hand write all observations and record them later. I never plan to see any other learners on the same day so that I’m not rushed in the time I spend with her and, on occasion, she has written down odd words where it has been difficult to speak. She has completed her Team Leading with me and is about to complete her Level 3 in Management.
What do you find most rewarding about your role?
Watching learners with no confidence in their own abilities grow as a person, but also find a passion for the industry.
What do you think makes Parenta stand out as a training provider?
We’re flexible, we’re not afraid of change and we’re all consistently working towards the same goals and follow the same ethos. This makes us strong as a company and able to withstand a lot of challenges.
Tell us something about yourself which most people don’t know
I’m heavily into tracing my family tree and have just hired a genealogist in Italy to help me trace my Italian roots.
Find out more about our childcare apprenticeships or make an enquiry about training here!