So, you have completed a QQI Level 6 Special Needs Assisting course, you loved the content, you really want to work with young children and you are wondering what your career options are…..sound familiar?
Learners who embark on studying special needs assisting can sometimes assume that the only career path available to them is to work in a primary school classroom as an SNA. These are wonderful and rewarding roles, however, they can sometimes be difficult opportunities to come by.
Never fear, you have other career options!
Have you ever considered a role in the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) sector educating and caring for young children between the ages of 0-6 years old? The knowledge that you have already gained on your SNA course is both relevant and transferrable to a qualification in ECEC. In fact, the 15 QQI credits that you have already earned, due to already completing your SNA Level 6 module, can contribute to the attainment of a full QQI Level 6 Major Award in ECEC and a new exciting career.
The ECEC sector in Ireland is vitally important and the provision of quality early childhood education is linked with better outcomes for children later in life. At the heart of ECEC are highly qualified professional early childhood educators who love to educate and care for young children. If you feel that this rewarding career path may be for you, then why not consider building upon your existing SNA qualification and using it as the first step towards a career as an early childhood educator.
To earn a QQI Level 6 Major Award in Early Childhood Education and Care you are required to complete 8 modules and the SNA module counts as one of them, so you already have 1 full module done and dusted!
At Forus Training we deliver all of the remaining Level 6 QQI modules that you will need to complement the SNA qualification you already have. Other interesting modules that you will cover during a full ECEC award include:
- Early Childhood Curriculum
- Child Development
- Early Learning Environment
- Childhood Social, Legal and Health Studies
- Supervision in Early Childhood Care
- Work Experience
- Communications
And the best part is that we deliver all of these modules in an accessible online format that will work around your current lifestyle and lead to a rewarding career educating young children.
To find out more, check out www.forustraining.ie or call us on 044 – 934 9400 today!
Paula Walshe
Programme Lead and Trainer Early Childhood Education and Care
