Nicole Gray

Nicole Gray
Nicole Gray

Nicole Gray (37) from Clackmannanshire completed a HNC Childhood Practice and also scooped the Most Promising Student in the Department of Care, Sport, Business & Communities at the FVC 2024 Graduation ceremony.

Nicole found that her lecturers made a huge impact on her and inspired her to become the early years educator and practitioner she now is.

She said: “Alloa's Forth Valley College is my local campus and being a mother of three meant that I wanted to study and pursue my career, whilst also being nearby to my home and my children. My twins were one when I made the decision to go back into education and retrain, so leaving them was always going to be tough, but being able to remain in the area made this journey easier.

“The College itself has brilliant facilities and I made use of some of the quiet areas often. My two lecturers made a huge impact on my experience and their enthusiasm for their subject area has inspired me to be the practitioner I am today.  

“This experience has not only given me the qualification I needed to become an early years practitioner, it has also given me the confidence and belief in myself that I needed. Eeven as an older student with children and a busy home life, if you work hard and have the right support network around you, it can be done. My course provided me with a work based placement throughout the year and I am now lucky enough to be teaching in the same nursery I attended as a student, having recently been offered a contract with Clackmannanshire Council.

“The College allowed me to make work based connections and build relationships throughout the year, which has helped to prepare me for the next steps of my career. During my HNC, my work based placement gave me an insight into how my working career would look after I qualified and Ibelieve this was instrumental in my preparation for the workplace. This practical experience allowed me to find out who I was as an early years practitioner, and as a result I have been able to develop a nurturing and informed approach to my practice.

“For anyone who has a real passion for education at an early level I would highly recommend this course. The HNC in Childhood Practice covers so many interesting and thought provoking topics and really is such a beautifully structured course. The knowledge I have gained from this course has allowed me to take what I have learned, and use it to give children the learning experiences they deserve, which for me is invaluable. 

“The best part of this journey for me was my placement. Experiencing the nurture based practices and the positive impact the practitioners had on their pupils was a privilege and something that inspired me massively. I got to see first-hand how early years educators play a pivotal role in shaping the minds of the next generation. My career initially began in child protection, and it was there that I realised how important we as adults, are in the lives of children, especially in those first crucial years. To be able to now be one of those practitioners in the nursery that inspired me, is the best result I could have asked for. Now my three children get to see their mum make a difference.

“I feel that College offers great pathways into employment. There is a vast choice of courses and flexible learning for those who may still wish to work, or those who have families. College is also a good way of re-entering the workplace and for those who are unsure of which career path they want to go down, there is support and guidance there to help.

“I really enjoyed meeting new people while at College. My lecturers were fantastic and I loved the course itself. Most importantly I loved that I was able to navigate my way around a new career knowing that I had the support of the College behind me when I needed it. My College experience was lovely and one which I am grateful to have had.”