Kylie Boaler is the centre manager for All About Children in Bulls and praises the Training For You programme for helping her to gain her qualifications. Photo / Supplied
Kylie Boaler is the centre manager for All About Children in Bulls and praises the Training For You programme for helping her to gain her qualifications. Photo / Supplied
Whanganui's Training for You programme is helping educators' dreams thrive.
Educators like Kylie Boaler, who started a foundation course in early childhood education with the programme and is now a qualified teacher and the centre manager for All About Children in Bulls.
Being an early childhood teacher has long been a dream of Boaler's but in her youth she said she was not always focused, leaving high school halfway through Year 13 and heading to Auckland and other places.
She refers to those times as "roaming around years".
Not really having a plan or direction for where her life was heading, she decided it was time to have some purpose.
"I wanted to start thinking about my future, because I was just going around in circles, and roaming around in my car, doing what I want. I guess I thought I better get my head down."
"I was living very spontaneously before I started studying. But when I started studying, I became very settled."
The 20-week Early Childhood Education provided her with an introduction to the knowledge and skills involved in the education and care of infants, toddlers and children in New Zealand.
"The course was really great. It gave me all the basics, strategies and everything."
When she graduated she gained a Level 3, New Zealand Certificate in Early Childhood Education and Care.
During the course, students gain hands-on experience in a local ECE environment to develop their potential as early childhood educators.
The Training For You programme offers a range of programmes from teacher aids, health care, working with children, hospitality, retail, workplace training and many more. Photo / File
When undertaking work experience, Boaler was told she was a natural by her tutors and workplace supervisors.
From this work experience she was offered jobs, and one of the centres that Training For You connected her with was Bright Beginnings in Whanganui's Liverpool St.
"Training For You got me that step in the door.
"I loved it. That centre really inspired me, and so did the owner. I'm still always watching what they are doing."
She spent a couple of years working in ECE centres and enjoyed her career move, especially as she was getting paid to do something she loved.
"I've always had children around me – nieces, nephews, cousins. I looked after them with love. So when I worked in ECE I thought, 'wow, I'm actually getting paid for this?' It kind of blew me away."
When Boaler moved to Palmerston North she began relieving at Lots of Hugs, which soon became a permanent full-time job and she also started her Bachelor of Teaching, Level 7 with the NZ Tertiary College.
She then completed her studies and graduated with a Bachelor of Teaching in January 2015.
When Lots of Hugs centres were sold the new owners acquired All About Children in Bulls and Boaler was asked to manage the centre.
At first, she declined. A year later when she was asked again, she felt ready to take on the challenge.
Two years on, she is still managing the centre and is very happy.
"We've made huge progress. And it pretty much all started from Training For You."
Boaler has kept her notes from the Training For You programme and at times reflects on the goals she wrote down and has since accomplished.
"I really enjoy my job. If I hadn't of gone to Training For You … I'm not too sure where I would be. It kind of settled me. It really did. It kind of got my life back on track, and my head focused on something."
