Bringing Knowledge From Home to the Workplace

 

Jasmine Lai has been a home maker since she got married, and became a stay-at-home mum to look after her kids. Now, with all her children in school, it did not take Jasmine long to realise she wanted a more meaningful activity in the mornings. “Ever since my youngest son entered primary school, I considered seriously about going back to work. But I was not sure what I could do as I had lost touch with the job market during the 14 years I stayed at home to look after my three sons,” she shared about her early doubts.

 

First Endeavour

After scouring through job advertisements, Jasmine decided to find a job related to what she had been doing - working with young children. With this resolve, she soon found a job as a Preschool Assistant at a private kindergarten near her home.  

Her sons were supportive of her return to work as she was only away from 8.30am to 3.30pm on weekdays. Adding to the favourable start, the private kindergarten was a mere 5-minute walk from home, so Jasmine could still prepare dinner, and accompany her sons as they did their homework every day.

“There were no major changes to our lifestyle and routine then3.  Moreover, taking care of young children is my forte. So I could ease into my job and have no fear about being able to cope,” she said, smiling at the memory.

 

Next Move

Shortly after, Jasmine found out that NTUC First Campus (NFC) was recruiting Preschool Teachers and sponsoring teacher-training programmes.

Wanting to improve her job prospects, she sent in an online application and was called for an interview. After a one-day placement at one of its centres, Jasmine was offered the position of a Trainee Teacher.

“I didn’t expect to progress so fast. The enjoyable experience I had as a Preschool Assistant and my positive review from the one-day placement just served to confirm I had made the right choice,” Jasmine asserted.

 

Earning Her Teaching Qualification

To enable Jasmine to progress further and be a qualified Preschool Teacher, NFC signed her up for the WSQ Professional Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education (Childcare).

In the course of this programme, she gained knowledge of recent developments in learning and education. She also participated in critical discussions, reflected on professional practices and developed skills to be an effective teacher.

“I had to apply theories and principles of child development in designing and implementing a curriculum project that integrated several subject areas.

“I also had four Supervised Teaching Practicum sessions, which assessed my teaching skills in the classroom. These were very practical and useful as immediate feedback was given by the Supervisor,” she shared about the course experience.

After completing the one-year programme, Jasmine became a full-fledged Childcare Teacher with more than 10 children under her care.

 

Moving Up

“Working with children is a very rewarding experience. I can influence the way they grow and mould them into positive people,” she said when asked what she found most satisfying about her job.

“That’s why I decided to further my knowledge in this field by going for another WSQ Specialist Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education, where I’ll be attending night classes three times a week over 22 months.” 

To date, her family has been very encouraging of her career moves and further education. However, her youngest son told her recently he would like to see her more, so Jasmine made arrangements to be home earlier during some weekday afternoons.

“Though I’m now a working mother, my children still come first and I have to make adjustments to complement their growing needs. I think it’s good for mothers to have their own careers – you just have to find something you enjoy and be flexible in adjusting your expectations.”

 

For more information on Early Childhood Care & Education (ECCE WSQ), click here.

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