Tracey started her first official qualifications in
community work with 10 years of on-the-job learning behind her. It
eventually led her to enrol on short courses, then for a degree in
community work.
The decade of child minding and voluntary community
work made things a lot easier. She explains: "I was better prepared
than most new students and had all my experience to bring to the
university course which I could share with them.
"It was helpful to have done the practice first
because the theory side tied in to what I'd been doing. I had been
practising community work all this time and I didn't know it was a
profession."
So the academic elements of the course helped her
articulate and explore her practical achievements. And the hands-on
elements of the course helped her build on her previous
experience
"As part of my course I did voluntary work with young
people and after a year they asked me if I'd like paid work. They
saw that I was getting results."
Now Tracey's using learning by doing to motivate
disaffected young people. In a summer project, for example,
students did environmental work in the Lake District. "It's
learning, but making it fun. The young people absolutely love
it."