From teaching to learning – how the College can guide you to a new future

“I've thought about doing the NPA Painting and Decorating course for years. I have always had a passion for design and being able to pour that passion into a job I love is something I have wanted for a long time. I love the physical element of painting and decorating and over the years as I did more and more, I realised it was what I really wanted to do.”

Thirty-five-year-old Janine Ching is currently working part-time as a primary teacher. She still loves teaching but over time has come to realise that she wants her job to be more physical and creative rather than an emotional challenge.

“The fact that painting and decorating is male-dominated doesn't bother me. I think gender perceptions have shifted a huge amount in the last decade (although we still have a long way to go) and employers realise that gender isn't a barrier to a career. It's the passion you have for it that counts.”

Here’s Janine’s lecturer, Steve Keenan, “Janine is one of a growing number of mature people looking to change careers and go into a trade. The College can offer some great retraining opportunities especially in these uncertain times and more mature students, in particular, have so much to offer.”

Janine is certainly committed and is already planning her own bespoke painting and decorating service with interior design guidance as part of the package. She says, “To anyone looking to retrain, I say the sooner the better. Life's regrets tend to be about the things you didn't do rather than the things you did I find, so if you have the means, go for it.”