Taking care

WITH his shorn hair and tattooed arms, Mike Smith turned heads when he began helping out at the local primary school. But four years of volunteering as a parent helper and a dinner-time supervisor have turned him into a welcome and respected member of the team at Dringhouses Primary School in York.

What's more, the former policeman has found a whole new vocation and is now studying part time at York College to enable him to work with children with learning problems and disabilities.

Mike, 47, began as a volunteer when his youngest child Elena, now nine, started school. He retired from the police on medical grounds after a 20-year career.

Mike, who also has two grown-up children and three grandchildren, said: "I get immense pleasure working with kids. I've always worked with people. Now that I'm volunteering at school I find it really refreshing after 20 years working at the rough end of things."

Working in a school did feel a bit weird at first, he admits. "It took a long time to get over being the strange man in school. It did feel a bit strange at first holding some little kid's hand, but soon they get to know you and trust you."

Elena was one of the pupils he had to work with. When asked what Dad was like in the classroom, she beams and gives the thumbs-up sign.

Mike is now studying part time to become a learning support assistant, with the aim of finding a paid post working with children with special needs.

He said: "When Tony Blair came into power, he spoke of 'education, education, education'. He wanted ex-policemen in schools and people with grandchildren - well, I'm his ideal candidate."

And Mike is not alone. There are many adults enrolled in York College's Child Studies department, preparing for careers in caring for young people.

Government policy to provide more paid-for early years provision for children in tandem with the requirement for more people working in the child-care sector to have formal qualifications has resulted in a boom in student numbers.

York College runs a range of courses designed to train people for jobs in this sector including play workers, nursery nurses, childminders, crche assistants and playgroup leaders.

Lindy Illingworth, Child Studies curriculum leader, said people can build a successful career in this field. There are management jobs available, while nannying, or running your own nursery or childminding business can reap financial rewards.

There are other benefits too, she adds.

"The work fits in well with school holidays, so it is extremely good if you have children," she said.

More and more mature adults and parents are joining school leavers on the varied courses offered by the Child Studies department.

Many of the courses are part time, with tuition available in the evening, so people with full-time jobs can train in their own time. For some people, this offers a chance to make a career change. Also, there are bursaries available for people to undertake part-time study.

Lindy tells of one male student in his 30s who is now running his own nursery in London - a very lucrative move, she adds.

Another female student is switching from being a forensic scientist. Another, who has worked as a nanny for 18 years, is now taking an early years diploma so she can move into administration and work with Ofsted.

Mum-of-two Helen Smith was a secretary for Yorkshire Television before she embarked on a new job in her local playgroup.

Helen, 38, of Stutton, near Tadcaster, mum to Jonathan, seven, and George, four, said she didn't want to go back to working in an office following the birth of her second child.

She began working at Stutton Playgroup, and soon enrolled at York College to take a qualification that would allow her to become a playgroup supervisor. She is now taking an advanced diploma, which is anything but child's play.

The diploma is the equivalent of the first year of a degree course and involves the writing of five 3,000-word assignments and a dissertation based on her own research. Helen attends York College on Monday nights from 6pm-9.30pm and the diploma will take two years to complete.

"It all gives you a better understanding," said Helen of her studying. "When children do something, you realise why they have done it. And when I tell a parent they have to teach their child phonetics so they can read, I can say that with confidence, because I know that it's right."

She adds: "It gives me great satisfaction. I know you can get satisfaction from typing a letter... but this is different. You are putting your soul into this."

And working with kids is fun, she said.

"I remember telling one child at the playgroup: "Ooo, you are a poppet" and he turned round and said: "But I don't have any pockets". Now, you don't get that typing a letter."

As an Army wife, Kailash-Vanti Holding moved around for 21 years. Now 46, she has two grown-up daughters and spent much of her adult life working in playgroups and schools. Most recently, she has been a care assistant in a nursing home.

She wanted to work with children again, yet despite her wealth of experience in this field, she realised she would need some qualifications if she were to develop her career in this field.

When a job in a private nursery came up, Kailash jumped at the chance, and agreed to attend York College for two evenings a week to achieve her diploma.

"It means that if a promotion comes up for a supervisor, then I'll be able to go for it," says Kailash.

But she is also finding the course work useful to her day-to- day duties in the nursery. Things have changed so much. It's brought me up to date with the latest teaching methods and how to deal with the admin - things like filling out the record of achievement."

And she thinks the fact she has been a mother herself brings added benefits to her job.

"When I talk to parents, they realise, I've been through this myself and understand. Hopefully, that is comforting to them."

For more information about courses run by the Child Studies department at York College, contact Lindy Illingworth on 01904 770248.

Updated: 11:40 Tuesday, February 19, 2002