Megan Chinnock

Are you learning on your own or with other people around you?

There is another apprentice here. She’s doing the same apprenticeship, but she started a few months after me. We help each other if we’re ever stuck. You want to try and solve the problem yourself before going to Emma.

It’s lovely to have that support though, isn’t it? When you’re with somebody who’s going through it with you?

Yeah.

And how does your employer support you while you’re learning?

They’ve been really supportive of me since the start. If I’ve needed time to study, they’d give me the time. They’re always there to help me if I’m ever stuck on a question. Emma works on certain days but if she’s off and I’m really stuck on a question, people in work are always there to help me.

You mentioned that this is always what you wanted to do, and it’s been a lifelong passion that you wanted to go into childcare, and now you’re achieving it. So, what motivates you to learn?

Seeing the children progress and seeing how far they’ve come. It makes me want to learn more on how to teach those children to go the extra mile in what they’re doing.

How old are the children that you look after?

Two and three years old.

What does a typical working day look like for you? What sort of things are you getting up to with them?

We sing in the mornings and then we go into the classrooms, and they get time to learn through play. Then we go and have a snack. After that, we can go outside round the back and there’s instrumental things for them to play with. There’s a water machine they can play with too. Sometimes, we’ll go for a walk around the field and then they come back, have another snack or dinner, and then they play again.

That’s so lovely that you’ve got places around you to walk through. And would you say that taking the apprenticeship has improved your confidence or your happiness in your job?

When I first started, I wasn’t as confident in what I was doing. And I wasn’t sure if I was doing it right, I wasn’t confident with the kids. But now I’m more than confident because I’ve obviously done more research in my work, and I realise if there’s things I can improve on. I’m doing great and it’s helped me loads.

What advice would you give to someone taking up an apprenticeship?

If I was to give advice, I’d say, don’t put a wall up at the start like I did. If you’re stuck and you need help, always ask for help. No matter if it’s something small, always ask for that extra help because the help will always be there.

And what are your career aspirations, Megan? Where will we see you in 10 years’ time?

Hopefully, I’ll be a room leader or I want to go on to do one to ones.

So hopefully something along those lines, still working with children.

We know you’ll go on to do great things, Megan!