Teaching Assistant Samuel excels in apprenticeship path

Happy National Apprenticeship Week! All throughout this week Inspire ATA will be showcasing success stories of our apprentices from across all programmes.

Today we are spotlighting Samuel Hempshall, a Teaching Assistant apprentice from Meadowhead school. Samuel stared his apprenticeship in September last year and he  won Apprentice of The Month the very next month! Here is his story:

“I have always wanted to work in education and after finishing university it seemed like the best way forward. It definitely has paid off as the work is fun and the coursework really supports my role as a TA.

In an apprenticeship you obtain both experience and a qualification to prove you can do the job. I have really progressed in regards to my professional development and am confident it will translate into a good career.

The best thing about my role is the variation on a daily basis. No two days are ever alike and there are always new challenges for me to undertake and build my experience as a TA.

I have had consistent communication with both my tutor/mentor and with Jules from Inspire ATA who ensures that the apprenticeship is running smoothly via resolving any issues which arise.

I would say the most important skill I’ve gained is my communication ability with people as I have ASD. During COVID I lost a lot of my social ability but this apprenticeship has helped me regain it. I believe communication is vital in the workplace to both understand what is expected of me and how my interactions with others can help the students I work with.

For now, my plan is to stay as a TA for a few years as I aim to build my experience within the school environment, but I would like to move higher up in the professional ladder within education so I plan to eventually participate in some form of teacher training.”

Well done, Samuel, we wish you all the best!

Are you ready to start your apprenticeship journey? Explore all of Inspire ATA’s apprenticeships!