Caroline Canter
I grew up in Angus, but my family moved around when I was small and at Primary School I remember getting overlooked and trying to fit in all the time. Secondary School was equally uneventful, and after school I joined a YT scheme and worked as a play assistant on a Playbus. My training lasted for six months then I was employed as a general assistant for the next three years. I left to have my first child in 1985 and was a stay-at-home mum until 1988 when my husband was made redundant and I returned to work as a school cleaner. In 1989 my marriage broke down and I started a training programme called Women’s Access to Gaining Employment for two mornings a week. Part of the course explored setting and achieving personal goals and this made me start to think about college courses. But I was worried about the amount of time learning might commit me to, and whether I could balance study with looking after my children. On a personal level I was also concerned that I wasn’t qualified enough or had the experience to do much.
I thought about it for about three months and decided to go to JHP training to study for an NC in Business for six months to see if I could cope.
Think carefully about what you want and how to sort out any responsibilities before you start. Make sure that the type of course you choose is suitable for you whether it’s full-time, part-time or flexible learning. Give yourself options in case things turn out differently from expected – maybe for the better. You might surprise yourself!
After that I went to Dundee College where I started on an NC Adult Business course before moving on to an HNC in Business Administration. I then went on to the University of Abertay to do a degree in Business Administration and Commerce. During my studies I worked as a cleaner, market researcher and have done hair-braiding and face painting at community events, and although it involved a lot of juggling, once your involved in the process of learning it becomes ingrained and automatic and I wouldn’t change anything.
After University I got remarried and had two more children. I stayed at home for four years while they were young and in 2001 I had a very bad accident that left me unable to walk. It took a long time to recover from my injuries and I now have a permanent disability. In 2004 a friend introduced me to a community project called WING – the Whitfield Inclusion Network Group, and now I work for WING as their administration/resource assistant. Learning gave me so much confidence and I came to understand that it didn’t just apply to a job but could be applied to every other aspect of life. New situations, tasks and acquiring new skills are now not so daunting. I feel a lot less limited as my horizons have expanded; I am flexible and adaptable and aim higher now than I did before.