Our lecturers are at the heart of our student’s learning and they are there to support them every step of the way. We caught up with Health and Social Social Care Lecturer Gordon Manson to find out why he chose college and how he brings the learning experience to life.
You teach in the Department of Care, Health and Sport, what made you decide that you wanted to go into lecturing in this area?
I teach in the department of Care, Health and Sport as a Health and Social Care Lecturer. I initially started teaching in higher education as a psychology lecturer. When the opportunity arose to come in to FE teaching a night class, I jumped at it whilst I completed my Masters degree. This then meant I was able to apply for a full-time role in the team. My focus in psychology was in health and I worked in social care during my studies. Teaching in this area is incredibly rewarding.
Your department offers some very popular courses, can you tell us why this is a good sector/career to get into?
Care is one of the largest employers in the Forth Valley area and this is likely to be one of the most popular areas to work in following on from the pandemic. Similarly we offer courses in Police Studies and Social Sciences as well, which are excellent opportunities for professional development.
What are the entry level job opportunities that our students would have upon successful completion of a course in your area?
Roles such as support worker or care assistant are accessible as entry level job opportunities upon successful completion of a course in my area.
What kind of opportunities would there be to go on to university or to start an apprenticeship?
Working and studying in care allows for the development of a number of transferable skills, which make it an excellent choice for progression on to higher education or apprenticeship study. University courses such as social work, psychology, nursing, mental health nursing or midwifery, are excellent choices for people who want to progress on to HE.
Colleges are a great place for our students to start their learner journey, mainly because of the lecturing staff and the knowledge and skills you pass on and the level of support you can give students. How do you manage to instil interest and passion in the courses you teach?
I think it is key to make sure that students have exposure to the sector that they are learning about, through work-based experiences to instil passion and interest and bring the subject alive. For me, I have used contacts in care that I have built up, to allow students to build knowledge of their subject area directly through problem-based learning. Throughout the lockdown and engaging in online teaching, I have used digital technologies to engage students and motivate them such as Nearpod, Teams, OneNote and Sway.
Describe your experience at Forth Valley College in three words…
Fun, exciting, supportive.
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Why Gordon Manson chose college
