Monique Sotomi - From Educators Wales to starting a PGCE

Monique Sotomi (studying Design and Technology PGCE at Cardiff Met) shares her story about finding Educators Wales and the range of services they provide.

I found Educators Wales because I was looking at different options for what would fit me as a student. They seemed the best fit for me since I’m Welsh and it’s a Welsh Government funded resource. 

After getting in touch with Educators Wales, Luc from the team arranged an online workshop and put me in contact with a PGCE tutor, which was helpful in making relationships and decisions. 

It made the process a lot easier for me in terms of being clearer on what I needed to do. I had no idea how to navigate UCAS after leaving university, so having someone to help made it easier. 

The workshop and subsequent phone calls helped me understand what I needed to do to get the ball rolling, like re-sitting some of my GCSEs. 

To go back a bit, I wanted to become a teacher because I wanted to have a profession and a job that makes a difference. I wanted to use my experiences of the outside world and help shape the future of Wales.

I knew there was a massive demand for teachers. I looked for training incentives to help me devise a plan, as I knew I would need to dedicate time to attending university, which would mean that I wouldn’t be able to work during the week while studying. The incentive was a deal breaker for me to be able to go to university. I am person of colour, and during a conversation with Luc, I found there is an incentive specifically for people like me. It’s also important to note that only when you finish the course do you get the money, so it’s a constant extra incentive!

I would like to thank the Educators Wales team for helping me, and I’d absolutely recommend them to anyone who wants help on their teaching journey.