WINNER SPOTLIGHT
AWARDS
8
Celebrating Nicola Aviolet – VTCT Excellence Awards Educator of the Year 2023 In this abridged Q&A, Nicola Aviolet walks us through her career trajectory, delves into the significance of her recent award, shares her creative teaching techniques, and imparts her insights into what truly sets an outstanding educator apart.
Could you tell us a little bit about your career and how you’ve reached where you are today? I started as an Educator 12 years ago and have always been involved in apprenticeships. I am truly passionate about young people having the opportunity to earn while they learn and believe that apprenticeships are the best way to learn such a hands-on skill. There is no better experience in our industry than being involved in it every day and learning from the very people around us that we aspire to be. After several years of being an educator, I completed my IQA qualification. This then led to supporting the acquisition of another training provider, which became the Kleek Academy, Maidstone. I now manage the team based in our Maidstone Academy, along with the southern team of work-based educators. Winning the VTCT Excellence Awards Educator of the Year is a tremendous accomplishment. What does this recognition mean to you personally and professionally? I still can’t actually believe it! I felt honoured to be nominated for this award. Each and every nominee this year was such a worthy winner, so I feel incredibly proud to have come out on top as Educator of the Year. This award has been celebrated not only for myself but across the entire Kleek Apprenticeships
team to recognise the hard work and dedication of our apprentices and salons. It also highlights how seriously we take our roles in helping to develop the next generation of hairdressers, beauty therapists and barbers, as a leading hair and beauty national training provider. Your nomination highlighted your commitment to safeguarding. Could you share more about how you’ve gone above and beyond to safeguard your students? At Kleek Apprenticeships, keeping our apprentices safe is at the forefront of everything we do. We strive to support our apprentices in many ways, through the information they are taught, the guidance and advice given and through having a committed and dedicated safeguarding team available. For times when learners are unable to seek support from external agencies or waiting times are too long, we provide our apprentices with access to our very own in-house counsellor and can make referrals to them when necessary. Every apprentice is a valued part of the Kleek community and being able to offer them the support we do is a huge indicator of our level of commitment to keeping them safe. The entire Kleek Apprenticeships team are extremely knowledgeable, fully trained and ready to help apprentices at all times.
THE KLEEK
