TGt Meets...Kelly Vaughan-Watkins, Employability Officer at Bath College

Meet our latest TGt Meets, Kelly Vaughan-Watkins, Employability Officer at Bath College. We spoke to Kelly to understand what it has been like being a teacher during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Tell us a little bit about yourself…

I have three children, two dogs, two cats and a husband with a welding business...we live in a very noisy and manic house! I completed my degree in English Literature with the Open Uni two years ago, and am now halfway through a Masters in Crime and Gothic fiction at Bath Spa Uni. I’ve been at Bath College for two years now in my current role, and when things go back to normal I’m going to combine this with a Level 5 apprenticeship in Education and Training.

What is your role at Bath College?

I co-ordinate and create the curriculum for the Adult Community Learning department. We run free courses for people over the age of 19 who are not currently in work or who are earning a low wage and want to learn a skill or pursue a further training or job pathway. The courses range from English, Maths and Digital Skills qualifications to IT skills from complete beginners; Art; Horticulture; Employability skills; Vocational skills; Cooking and Confidence skills. We’re very reactive towards our curriculum and work with local third sector groups to create courses that we see a need for in the area.

What inspired you to pursue a career in the education sector?

I left a role in marketing with a huge hit to my confidence and wanted to look for something different. The job really appealed to me, especially as I’m so passionate about never being too old to stop learning (I graduated after 6 years at the age of 38 and started my MA at the age of 39!) and about making education accessible for as many people as possible – there are so many hurdles and we aim to break those down to raise people’s confidence in the college environment to help them feel better about themselves and to help them find the career that they want.  I completed a degree and a total career change as a single parent, and I’m passionate about showing others that they can do it too if they really want to, and that there are ways and means around a lot of things that you think are standing in your way.

If we’re all going to be working until we’re 70, I think that we all need to make sure that we’re doing something that we enjoy!

What has life been like working in a College during the Covid pandemic?

While I’m aware that compared to many others who have worked through the pandemic we have been safe and secure (my sister is a nurse in a local hospital and I have huge respect for those doing jobs such as this), it’s been a struggle for us as we rely so much on having face to face relationships with our students. I network a lot in the area with charities and organisations who refer the people they are supporting into our courses, so getting the message out about what we have available has been a challenge. We are working from home, so rely on regular team meetings to keep in touch to make sure that we are all aware of what’s going on. We have obviously had to cancel all of our face to face lessons, but have created an online curriculum which we hope will keep people motivated with their learning and stop them from losing touch with the college.

What have you done to try and stay positive?

We have an amazing team at work, so there are a lot of funny memes flying around on our group chat as I’m sure a lot of people have.  On a personal level, I do a lot of yoga (my aim in the first lockdown was to do a headstand, I’ve achieved that so I’m aiming for a forearm stand now!).  As a family we avoid Monopoly and other board games as that ends in tears and tantrums, but we are lucky to live close to Longleat Forest so there are lots of dog walks and bike rides as fresh air really does lift your spirits and the scenery here is really beautiful. I enjoy this with my family, but I also enjoy putting a good podcast on (If I want funny I listen to the Lockdown Parenting Podcast, if I’m feeling a bit more intelligent I listen to Melvin Bragg’s In Our Time!) and having a good stomp outside.

How have Bath College supported their students during this tough time?

Making sure that people who claimed free school meals could still access this. Making sure that the counsellors are still available. Keeping up communication constantly via email and social media, and we’ve been sending out newsletters to ACL students to stay connected with them.  We have also been running a safe space for vulnerable students.

To find out more about Bath College please visit their website, https://www.bathcollege.ac.uk/