SOCIAL STUDIES STUDENT SECURES NEW ROLE AFTER GRADUATING

Image caption: NWSLC student Sam Jackson

A social student who completed a degree via a combination of college and university study has secured a full-time position with a national organisation based in Coventry. Sam Jackson from Nuneaton started a BA (Hons) in Social Studies just as her Mum, Sue Adcock, was completing it. Sue had recommended the course to her daughter after Sam was made redundant four years ago when the funding for her youth work was withdrawn.

Sam has recently completed her degree at the University of Warwick, earning a 2:1 and has also been awarded a grade 7 for her English GCSE which she studied at NWSLC. She has just started work as a support officer for a national regulator and is currently going through the induction process.

The BA (Hons) Social Studies 2+2 course is taught in partnership with the University of Warwick. Students spend two years studying at NWSLC’s Nuneaton Campus and then transfer to Warwick University to complete the final two years and achieve a degree. The model gives adults the chance to return to education successfully even after a long break. It equips students with the skills needed to study at degree-level and offer a personalised route by enabling individual students to choose their own specialist modules.

Sam said, “I was inspired by my Mum’s success to take up the degree and the study arrangements were flexible enough to enable me to look after my son who is now aged five. I spent two years attending the college’s Nuneaton Campus and then another two at the University of Warwick where I worked in the Centre for Lifelong Learning as a digital skills mentor and was also a student ambassador.

“When the coronavirus lockdown started, I had almost completed my studies and continued to work online finishing off assignments while also home-schooling my son. He is going back to school in Year 1 next week and I am now at work full-time in my new role. I definitely think that my qualifications and the experience I had at college and university helped me to get the job.

“I enjoyed the course because it explored some fascinating aspects of how politics influences daily life and really opened my eyes. Especially over the last few months we have been exposed to so many examples of decisions affecting health and social policy. The course gets progressively more challenging, but I was able to adjust to it naturally.

“Both me and my Mum had positive experiences of studying for the 2+2 degree. The support within college is fantastic; it feels like being part of a family. I would definitely recommend this route to others who are thinking about returning to education.”

Click here to find out more about the 2+2 degree.