Dual role places teacher at the heart of NewVIc activity

Steven Sheard is the curriculum team leader and a teacher of business. Before he took up these roles Steven supported students at NewVIc as a progress tutor. Here he tells us why he likes to help students realise their potential and recognise the progress they are making each day at NewVIc.

On work-life
"Every day is different at NewVIc. There is always an opportunity to celebrate the success of students and colleagues. There is always a challenge to meet. Working as a curriculum team leader and teacher of business places me at the heart of college activity, where I have the opportunity to work with students on different courses and colleagues in different departments. One of the things I value most about working at NewVIc is the team ethos that welcomed me when I first joined the college five years ago. The level of support we offer each other is very special and not found in every organisation. The ‘One College, One Team’ philosophy perfectly represents how we work at NewVIc."

On the most inspiring people he has met
"It is hard to choose one particular inspirational person as my job enables me to meet inspiring people on a regular basis but I often think back to a former colleague I used to work with. This particular person is a very ambitious person who keeps striving for excellence and never really allows themselves to ‘kick back’ and rest up. They are always focused on the next goal but what inspires me most about them is the set of personal values they hold alongside their ‘fierce’ commitment and determination. They are principled, courageous, incredibly hard working and very kind. These are values I try to live up to and they are values that are also at the heart of NewVIc’s work."

Steven worked for a FTSE 100 company for 10 years (Image: Archant)

On his teaching career
"My teaching career was inspired by training new colleagues for my former employer and coaching junior middle distance running athletes back in my home town of Cardiff. Being able to impart knowledge or help another person develop a skill felt so satisfying that I began to realise that teaching was the only career for me. After spending ten years working for a large FTSE 100 financial institution I knew it was time for a significant change. I had gained invaluable experience carrying out various roles relating to mortgages and pensions. However, the only part of my job I used to really enjoy was explaining a process or product to our customers or helping to welcome and train new staff. In 2011 I took a gamble and enrolled on a PGCE course at Cardiff University. Within three months I was teaching in a further education college on a range of vocational subjects including sport, travel and tourism and business. This led to a period working as a teacher in a range of secondary schools teaching GCSE business, citizenship and law. This teaching experience gave me the confidence to apply for a teaching role here at NewVIc where my teaching career really started!"

NewVIc teacher Steven at his PGCE graduation (Image: Archant)

On student progression
"Student progression is the reason why we all work so hard at NewVIc. It is also the most satisfying aspect of the job. As soon as I started work at NewVIc I felt a sense of responsibility and purpose. That feels really good! To know the work you do will affect the opportunities of so many young people. Progression is not just about what happens when you graduate from NewVIc and secure a great job or a place on a brilliant degree at university. Progression starts when you join NewVIc and you start to realise the knowledge and skills gained each day. To help inspire this process we ensure that we also link students to employers and leading financial institutions throughout their time at the college. This helps students to visualise future career destinations and keep motivation strong. The introduction of the NewVIc Professionals programme and T Level qualification are going to elevate student progression even further. This work is helping our students progress to brilliant careers in accounting, marketing, human resources, financial services, construction and project management, law and education. They also progress to a hugely diverse range of university programmes located across the UK. In our office we always appreciate receiving an email from former students letting us know just how well they are doing."

To meet more of the experts at NewVIc College go to newvic.ac.uk/meet-our-experts