Case study: Nikki Gray
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
Surrey-based playgroup manager Nikki Gray, 46, signed up for Liverpool Hope's BA Nursery Management degree in 2002 after reading about the course in the press. She has two more years to complete before graduating. 'I'd always wanted to study for a degree and this course seemed ideal because it developed management skills that were relevant to the job I was already doing,' she explains. 'E-learning suited me perfectly because, as a single parent with three children, there was no way I could attend a campus based course - and certainly not one in Liverpool.'
'I'd always wanted to study for a degree and this course seemed ideal because it developed management skills that were relevant to the job I was already doing,' she explains. 'E-learning suited me perfectly because, as a single parent with three children, there was no way I could attend a campus based course - and certainly not one in Liverpool.'
Ms Gray admits she had reservations about working online with a group of people she didn't know, but the induction at Liverpool Hope enabled her to put names to faces, and very quickly the group were supporting each other's efforts as they worked together to solve problems set by the course tutors.
Having basic IT skills and a computer at home is vital, she says.
She spends approximately two evenings a week online and attends campus-based conferences once a year.
'I want to develop my management skills with a view to managing an early excellence centre in the future,' she says. 'This course answers a real need within the industry by training managers for the future rather than relying on promoting existing childcare workers who may not have the skills to deal with complex issues such as nursery finance, law, health issues and recruitment.'
