Ania Kondera was delighted to discover she had been chosen for the work she has done to promote the Horticulture industry, which often struggles to attract skilled employees.
To mark Careers Week, which takes place from March 1st-5th, The Careers & Enterprise Company teamed up with the Gatsby Foundation to celebrate brilliant practitioners of careers guidance for young people, as well as young people themselves.
Hundreds of nominations were submitted from across the country featuring stories of people, employers, schools and colleges whose careers-focussed work made a positive difference to the lives of young people, and the College is thrilled to have recognition for one of its members of staff.
Ania Kondera, who is part of the Business Development team, was nominated under the Connecting with Technical and Vocational Education category.
The CEC said she has shown ‘dedication, commitment, and passion to change this by engaging with employers in industry to promote apprenticeships available in horticulture’.
She has also built relationships between the College community and employers to consistently show how a skilled workforce will add value and boost staff morale.
Ania said: “It feels good to have been recognised. I am not a competitive person but this is a great reminder of why I do what I do. I feel passionate about education and as someone who always struggled to sit still in the classroom for long hours, see vocational qualifications as the best solution for anyone who prefers the ‘hands-on’ approach. It worked for me and I’m happy to share that with others through my work.
“The successes could not happen without the team of people I work with, who plan and deliver the apprenticeship training so I have to thank them.”
Talking about what she is most proud of in relation to the nomination, Ania said: “I am most proud of supporting students that otherwise may not have chosen to continue education. Those who sometimes find the learning environment challenging, perhaps with ADHD, dyslexia or other challenges who then realise they are great students and not only overcome those, but are able to use it to their advantage.
I am happy when I can show people of all ages that education is more than memorising definitions, and it is also about getting tangible knowledge, transferring skills and valuable experience.”
If you’d like to see a video of Ania’s work being highlighted, visit Connecting with Technical and Vocational Education | CEC Careers Champions (careersandenterprise.co.uk).
