51 year old manager gains Masters equivalent.
For 51-year-old Birmingham care home manager Mandy Callaghan learning never stops as she proved after gaining the equivalent of a Masters degree while holding down a full-time job.
Mandy, who manages a staff of 20 at the Forest Grange home in Moseley, was presented with her Level 7 NVQ in management at a city awards ceremony. The award is the highest NVQ level Birmingham training provider GB Training has presented in recent years.
It has taken almost three years for Mandy, who started her career in care as a volunteer more than 30 years ago, to achieve the qualification which is equivalent to a graduate diploma or masters degree. She said: “I send all my staff to GB Training to improve their skills and qualifications because the company’s standards are so high, in fact quite a few have gone into nursing as a direct result of the support given by GB Training.
“However as is often the case for many managers it is easy to overlook your own training or find the time amongst the demands of the job to pursue something like this. It took a lot of effort however I am thrilled to have achieved it because it gives me confidence knowing my work in the care industry is being done to a very high nationally-recognised standard. We all should expect the highest standards of care in our nursing homes and I hope this will go towards continuous improvement which ultimately benefits the people we look after.”
Mandy was among more than 25 people receiving their NVQ level 2 and 3 certificates from the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Mike Leddy, at the awards ceremony organised by GB Training, based in Bromsgrove Street.
Lawrence Barton, GB Training director, said: “We were delighted to hand out so many certificates to our trainees but it was particularly rewarding to see Mandy gain her NVQ Level 7 in management. It has taken a great deal of hard work on Mandy’s part with support from our staff. I hope she inspires other managers to think about improving their qualifications and to realise that you are never too old to learn and develop your career whatever industry you are in.”
GB Training, based in Bromsgrove Street, Southside, is a well-established family-run training firm specialising in care, hospitality, IT and vehicle mechanics apprenticeships as well as bespoke management training.