Learner Case Studies
Every Learner is Different
Over our 25 years of training, we have been extremely privileged to have worked with people from a huge variety of backgrounds; you can take a look at all of their stories and the reasons they became Assessors, IQAs, and/or Tutors with Brooks and Kirk.
5.0verified by TrustindexTrustindex verifies that the company has a review score above 4.5, based on reviews collected on Facebook, Google, Trustindex, Trustpilot over the past 12 months, qualifying it to receive the Top Rated Certificate.
3000+ Happy Learners
Unlimited Tutor Support
Flexible, Self-Paced Studying
100% Learner Satisfaction
No Hidden Fees
28+ Years Experience
Gill's Story
Before starting the course, Gill was working as a Higher Level Teaching Assistant in a primary school. She had 7 years experience in Early Years, ranging from special needs care to managing a preschool.
Gill did an online search to find Brooks & Kirk. When she phoned the Boston office for information, she was so impressed with the member of our team that she spoke to. Gill said he had great course knowledge, and talked her through the whole process without any “sales pitch” pressure.
Completing the course gave Gill the confidence to apply for jobs in Assessing. She started a job as a Regional Trainer in Early Years for a national company.
Kerrie's Story
Kerrie was working in the Early Years sector before her training with Brooks and Kirk, and this was the area she wanted to start assessing in.
Kerrie wanted to further herself in her career. She wanted to give herself new challenges, and be able to build a future for herself. So, after a google search, Kerrie chose Brooks and Kirk for her assessor training.
After qualifying as an Assessor, Kerrie took a job with Parenta, one of the biggest childcare training providers in the UK. She has been working with Parenta for 3 months now (as of March 2022) and really enjoys it. Kerrie is hoping to stay working as an assessor for a few more years, and then will consider progressing to IQA or RTM.
Victoria's Story
After 8 years in the Early Years sector, Victoria was looking for a change in direction. She decided that assessing was a logical and achievable way forward.
As Victoria wasn’t working in a further education setting at the time, she needed a company that could support her through the course without a need for her to be in a placement. That is how she came across us at Brooks and Kirk, who Victoria found online.
Before even finishing the course, Victoria had received a fantastic two job offers! She has since changed to another company, and is still working as an Assessor now.
A few months after she completed the Assessor course, Victoria decided to take the next step and enrolled onto our Internal Quality Assurer course – which she also passed with flying colours!
In the future, Victoria is hoping to go into End-Point Assessing.
Bethan's Story
Bethan has worked with children and young people for 24 years, she is also a qualified NNEB. Bethan wanted to change careers, but after working in one career for so long she felt like her knowledge could be used to teach others.
When searching for training providers, Bethan found us online. Bethan was drawn to the support we offered and finding the reviews from other learners extremely helpful when choosing us.
Bethan has moved into becoming an assessor for early years in college, she is working full-time and enjoying her career change. Bethan completed her AET course with us as well and is hoping to complete the EPA and IQA courses in the future. With a plan for her to go into teaching post-16 students.
Betsy's Story
After 10+ years of experience in Early Years, it was time for Betsy to enter a familiar yet exciting new industry.
Her former employer asked her to work on the Level 3 Assessing Course, and she just typed it online. She found a lot of training providers and the price range was huge, varying from £90 to over £1000. However, when Betsy looked up Brooks and Kirk’s website, she found the information to be really comprehensive.
Now, Betsy is employed as an EPA with hopes of transitioning to be an Assessor upon achieving her driving license.
Emma's Story
Before deciding to take the next step in Emma’s career, she was a Nursery manager for the last 20 years. But that is just one side of the coin, as a mum of two girls… and having two children is quite chaotic.
Emma came to Brooks and Kirk as her employer was becoming an apprenticeship training provider.
When we had a chat with Emma, she commented on how “helpful” our Youtube channel is. It’s a little-known secret but we have a YouTube channel that expands on certain topics beyond what is covered in our suite of TAQA courses. You can check it out here.
After completing her qualifications, both the CAVA and Lead IQA, Emma now works with apprentices.
Sharon's Story
After 18 years working in education – including 10 years teaching Nursery through to Year 6 – Sharon realised during the Covid pandemic that it was time for a change. Although she still loved teaching, the shift to remote learning left her feeling disconnected from her pupils, and she began thinking about new ways she could use her skills.
Her sister, who had already moved from teaching into assessing, recommended Brooks and Kirk after completing her own qualification with us. Wanting a fast and flexible route into her next career, Sharon enrolled on our CAVA Express course with the goal of completing three tasks a week – and she did exactly that.
“The support was amazing,” Sharon told us. “The marking was so quick, and having everything I needed ready to go made such a difference.”
Charley's Story
After eight years working in Early Years settings, Charley wanted to create new career opportunities without stepping away from the sector she loved. Completing her CAVA and AET qualifications with us gave her the flexibility, confidence, and practical skills to move into a teaching and assessing role.
After completing her BA degree with the Open University, Charley wanted to continue developing professionally and open up progression opportunities. She enrolled on the CAVA course and later completed AET to support her goal of tutoring Early Years apprenticeships.
Charley feels settled in her current role but continues to look ahead. She has begun exploring future progression into Internal Quality Assurance or End-Point Assessing.
Charley strongly recommends Brooks and Kirk to anyone considering assessor or teacher training.
“I would absolutely encourage anyone to study with Brooks and Kirk,” she said. “They have helped me progress in my career and achieve my goals.”
Claire's Story
Claire is a busy mum of two with a varied professional background. She previously worked in dentistry as a dental nurse and oral health educator, visiting schools to deliver oral health advice to children aged four to eleven. She later moved into Early Years, qualified as a Level 3 Early Years Educator, and spent almost ten years working across nurseries and schools.
Claire heard positive feedback from a friend who completed the CAVA qualification and successfully became an assessor.
She wanted a recognised qualification that supported career change without leaving the sector she enjoyed.
Claire discovered Brooks and Kirk through an online search. After reviewing the website, she spoke to a member of the team who explained the course in detail. She also valued the option to pay monthly, which made the course more accessible.
“I would absolutely recommend the course,” she said. “They were always on hand to help, and no question was ever too silly.”
Hannah's Story
Hannah has worked in the Early Years sector throughout her career. As a proud mum to a young daughter, she wanted a change that allowed greater flexibility while also challenging her professionally. This led her to explore completing an Assessor qualification.
Hannah had a very positive experience with Brooks and Kirk. The team checked in regularly and marked her work quickly. The feedback remained clear and supportive, which helped her complete any resubmissions efficiently. The team also showed flexibility when arranging practical elements of the course, such as discussions and observations, which proved invaluable while she worked full time.
She has now worked as an assessor for around six months. When preparing for her interview, she reviewed her course work and felt confident answering every question. She enjoys her new role and values the flexibility and financial benefits it offers. The role also allows her to manage her own schedule and drop her daughter off at school each day.
To anyone thinking of studying with Brooks and Kirk, I would suggest giving them a call. Everyone I spoke to during my time with them was so friendly and helpful. For someone like me, working full time and wanting to achieve a new qualification, this company was perfect.’
Helen's Story
During her time as a manager, Helen supported several Early Years apprentices. This experience sparked her interest in becoming an Early Years Trainer and Assessor. She wanted to use the knowledge and skills she had built over more than twenty years in care and education to support others entering the sector.
Brooks and Kirk stood out due to their strong reviews. After speaking to a member of the team, she felt encouraged and supported and enrolled on the course the same day.
Helen now works from home as a Trainer and Assessor, which allows her to balance her career around family life. She manages a caseload of up to forty learners completing Level 2, Level 3, and Level 5 Early Years qualifications. She supports them through monthly Zoom calls, regular workplace visits, and ongoing communication by phone, email, and text.
Helen describes the role as rewarding and fulfilling. Completing her training with Brooks and Kirk has given her the work-life balance and professional challenge she wanted, while allowing her to continue making a meaningful impact within the Early Years sector.
Kathryn's Story
When Kathryn’s two sons started going to school, she found herself with more spare time. This was when she decided to retrain as an Assessor.
Kathryn found out about Brooks and Kirk from searching online, and reading numerous reviews of lots of different training providers. She says that Brooks and Kirk seemed to be to be the best at providing the necessary training and experience, while being at a competitive price.
Since qualifying, Kathryn has secured two jobs as an End-Point Assessor for the Teaching Assistant standards.
Kathryn has even written material for a new EPAO, where she was employed as a material developer!
Kathy's Story
Kathy had previously completed the D32/33 back in 1996, which is the old assessor course, alongside her PGCE.
Her boss asked her if she had a TAQA qualification, and she said wasn’t sure what it was, as there are lots of acronyms and misconceptions in the further education industry.
Her boss told her to look into TAQA, and see what she can do.
After a lot of confusion looking into TAQA and the world of assessing nowadays, Kathy was referred to Brooks and Kirk by her boss. She gave us a call, discussed the qualifications she already has with the team, and we advised her to complete the Level 3 Award in Understanding the Principles and Practices of Assessment in order to update her competency.
Kathy now works for a training company that deliver courses including a fully online offering that construction workers need to get their Green CSCS card. She was brought in as an eAssessment Manager as the company were developing their software to carry out remote invigilation.
Kat's Story
Kat has always been enrolled onto a course ever since she completed her degree around 12 years ago – she hasn’t stopped learning!
Wanting to upskill in her own organisation by learning to assess and quality assure, Kat got in touch with the team at Brooks & Kirk. She decided to go with us because we offered the freedom and flexibility to complete the course in her own time.
Kat is potentially thinking of because a full time IQA in the future. At the moment, she both teaching and carrying out the quality assurance. She is due to finish her QTLLS soon, and then will be taking a well deserved break from education.
Sarah's Story
Sarah undertook Unit 2 Only of the CAVA assessor course with Brooks and Kirk because another training provider had mishandled her qualification.
Sarah is now working for a professional body. She has been recruited to manage their assessment processes. She says it’s not an accredited assessment, it’s an internal process for the body to enable members to become reach chartered status. Sarah says It’s been a nice change.
Sarah has recommended other members of her team to enrol onto Unit 1 of the assessor qualification with ourselves, in order to upskill the organisation.
Karen's Story
Karen spent twenty years as a sign language interpreter, but she reached a stage where she wanted to guide new professionals entering the field. Her training with us gave her the confidence, clarity, and direction to progress into assessing and teaching.
Karen built a long and rewarding career in the interpreting sector. After two decades of experience, she wanted to support trainee interpreters and play a bigger role in developing the next generation. She knew she needed recognised qualifications to step into assessing and teaching, so she began to explore her options.
Karen encourages anyone considering the course to take that next step.
“Do it, it fits with your work-life balance. Wish I had done it sooner.”
Fiona's Story
After a long and successful career in education leadership, Fiona chose to step into a more flexible way of working. She wanted to continue visiting schools, mentoring trainees, and developing her expertise. Completing her CAVA qualification allowed her to expand her freelance portfolio and take on new assessing roles with confidence.
Fiona wanted freelance work that kept her connected to schools and trainee teachers. During her search, she noticed that several assessing roles required the Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement.
Fiona described her experience as extremely positive from the outset. She found the course well structured and relevant to her background in education.
Fiona strongly recommends Brooks and Kirk to anyone considering assessor training.
“I would recommend training with Brooks and Kirk,” she said. “They are very friendly and always happy to offer advice or further information.”
Gillian's Story
Gillian is extremely grateful to have completed her assessor qualification with Brooks and Kirk. The course was engaging and supportive and gave her a significant boost in confidence. It strengthened her understanding of assessment practice, learner support, and maintaining high standards, and fully prepared her for the next stage of her career.
The experience proved invaluable in preparing her for a Lecturer role. It deepened her understanding of the learner journey and gave her the confidence and practical skills to teach, assess, and support students effectively.
Since completing the qualification, she has successfully secured a Lecturer post in Childhood Practice, marking a major professional and personal milestone. She now looks forward to this new chapter and to supporting the next generation of practitioners.
Helen's Story
Helen is from Somerset and is a fully qualified Early Years and Primary School teacher with extensive experience in education. Throughout her career, she has worked as a lecturer with learners aged fourteen to eighty-nine, delivering Teaching, Social Sciences, Sociology, Childcare, and Health and Social Care qualifications from Level 2 through to Level 6 degree level.
She discovered Brooks and Kirk through online research and was drawn to the option of studying online with additional support through Teams meetings. The distance-learning format suited her circumstances, as travelling to a training centre would have required long journeys. She also appreciated the availability of a discount.
She thoroughly enjoyed studying with Brooks and Kirk and found the team supportive throughout. She completed the qualification quickly, which allowed her to move into employment without delay.
What stood out most to her was the friendliness of the team and the genuine support she received.
“Everyone was really helpful and wanted me to succeed,” she said.
She strongly encourages others to consider training with Brooks and Kirk.
“Go for it,” she said. “The courses are accredited to a high standard, enjoyable to complete, and you receive support throughout. They really increase your chances of employment.”
Andrew's Story
As Andrew’s Army qualification was about 12 years out of date, for the colleges to be interested in him he wanted to get another teaching qualification. The colleges were asking for the CAVA to evidence his current competency.
Andrew found out about Brooks and Kirk on Google. He was searching through different companies and their reviews, and was looking for something that assesses both in a workplace and a learning environment as the role of an Electrician assessor is very hands on.
Seeing that Brooks and Kirk deliver the assessor course with a more industry recognised awarding body and the fact that Andrew could complete the course in a short timeframe was the winning points for – in fact, he was qualified in 6 months!
Within a month after getting his CV out into the world, Andrew was offered the exact job he was looking for. This was the stepping stone he needed, and gave him the experience to get a different teaching job closer to home.
Brian's Story
Brian has lived in the Essex area all his life in the construction industry, at various levels from Site Manager to Senior Contracts Manager in his last position. Throughout his 40+ years, Brian has worked for a few different companies in different forms of construction, from new builds, to maintenance, modular and traditional builds, and general civil engineering.
When Brian took retirement in May 2021, he thought he would put back some of his experience to the younger generation coming into the industry.
After Brian was qualified, he went looking for training companies to supply some work. He had already been completing Q&A papers for construction workers with QFI Ltd, and he started assessing apprentices for them once he was qualified.
He also now works full time for CST Training ltd as an NVQ Mentor/Assessor which he enjoys. All work is from home on a laptop, so ‘no more rat racing or commuting’! Brian works his own hours with his own case load and says he thinks it’s great.
He intends on continuing to assess students until he fully retires.
Ken's Story
Before starting his first course with Brooks and Kirk, Ken was stuck in a job as a Gas Engineer working 60 – 70 hour weeks. A family man, Ken never had the time to see his daughter and spend time with his family due to his long work hours. This was something he found really frustrating. Wanting more flexibility and time to spend with his kids, Ken starting looking at assessing through one of his Lead Engineers.
Unfortunately, the first company Ken enrolled onto the assessor course with were fake – as a result, he lost a whopping £1,400. This of course was a big knockback.
When he contacted Brooks and Kirk, Ken said there was no sales pressure and the instalments that we offer made it really easy. This confirmed his decision to start training to become an assessor again, but with Brooks and Kirk.
He left British Gas and went to become a Gas Auditor, as one of the requirements was to be a qualified Assessor. Whilst there’s been some bumps along the way for Ken, he says becoming an Assessor has had a massive upturn in his career.
Ken then got a job as a Gas Supervisor, and this was the start of him becoming a Manager. For this reason, he enrolled on the Lead IQA course with us. Following this he was offered a job as a Compliance Officer, looking after 13,000 properties for a housing association.
Clearly still having a taste for learning, Ken enrolled on our Level 3 Education and Training course AND our Award in End-Point Assessment.
Ken is now a Statutory Compliance Manager for Wigan Council, looking after 22,000 properties on Gas Compliance. He’s also just started his NEBOSH Diploma for his Degree, so he has literally not stopped learning since he started the CAVA.
Paul's Story
Paul has spent many years working with and managing apprentices, and wanted to upskill and gain knowledge for future challenges.
Paul was initially referred to Brooks and Kirk by an employer we have a large cohort with at Activate Learning. This was how Paul knew to come back to us to complete our exclusive End-Point Assessment course.
Currently Paul is employed as a Data Centre Technician, and he also has his own training company where he facilitates technical training to leading companies! He also works with Apprentices for awarding bodies such as and EAL.
Ben's Story
After nearly twenty years as a carpenter, Ben decided to take his career in a new direction. He wanted to pass on the skills and knowledge he had built over decades and support learners as they entered the trade. His qualification gave him the confidence and structure he needed to assess learners effectively and grow as a teacher.
Ben’s employer enrolled him on the course as part of his transition into teaching. As his role required him to carry out learner assessments, he needed a recognised qualification that prepared him for assessment responsibilities and professional standards.
‘The help provided is worth using, and all the staff are friendly and helpful. Don’t hesitate to reach out and talk to them. It may be daunting at first but after you reach out to the staff, they are genuinely all very knowledgeable and helpful.’
Marco's Story
Marco started thinking about teaching and assessing about a year before the pandemic. Once the lockdown hit, as a hairdresser it was very difficult; Marco spent his time wisely, looking for ways to upskill ready for when life goes back to ‘normal’.
With the intentions of becoming a Hairdressing teacher, Marco did some research online and came across Brooks and Kirk. He looked into a lot of different training companies, and Brooks and Kirk ranked at the top of Google. So, he spoke with our team over the phone and decided to enrol straight away, as he says we gave him the best information!
Marco has completed 4 courses with us at Brooks and Kirk.
Ruby's Story
Ruby began an apprenticeship aged 16 at a local Toni & Guy hair salon. She worked there for 6.5 years, and in that time progressed from Apprentice, to Stylist, to Senior Stylist and Assistant Manager. Whilst at the salon, Ruby was training the in-salon apprentices and this was where she found her love for education.
Wanting to qualify to teach and assess in hairdressing and with the hopes of finding a role as Hairdressing Tutor, Ruby began her online search for the Level 3 CAVA and Level 3 AET courses.
Ruby found Brooks and Kirk – she said she chose us because we have so much information here on our website. She knew we would be well organised, and that she’s be supported throughout her qualification.
Since completing her courses, Ruby has started a new job as a Hairdressing Tutor in London. It’s exactly what she wants to do, and Ruby says she wouldn’t have been able to do it without her qualifications she received with the help of us at Brooks and Kirk.
Maria's Story
Maria used to be a healthcare assistant until 2010. Maria now works in the beauty industry, where she uses massage to help people with cancer. Maria was thinking about tutoring, as she knew she could do it in other industries, so she knew it was a good time to start the Education and Training course.
Maria wanted to up her skills and knowledge and thought taking the Award in Education and Training would be a great fit for her. At 58, she still wanted to continue with her education. She found Brooks and Kirk through a recommendation from a friend of her husband. She also spoke to someone on her own course who was with us at the time.
In the future, Maria will be using the Award in Education and Training to further her skills within the beauty and holistic industry.
Andrea's Story
Andrea was working around 50 – 60 hours per week as a Care Home Manager, and decided she wanted to do something that would allow her more flexibility in her time.
She found Brooks and Kirk after some research on the internet, and decided to take advantage of our CAVA & AET bundle to qualify as an assessor and a tutor. As we provide learners and can offer flexible learning, Andrea felt that she would be able to relax and having breathing space in times where she was too busy to complete any work.
Andrea said that the knowledge and skills that she has learnt have benefitted her in her professional life. As a Manager, it is sometimes difficult to know what to ask people to do. But by completing her assessor course, Andrea said it has helped her to make reasonable demands of her staff. Being a Care Home Manager can mean moving around a lot, and each care home is different. Now with her new knowledge and skills, she says it’s easier to set objectives for her staff. The assessment background and apprentices gave her an anchor, as companies have such different expectations depending on level of achievement.
BJ's Story
Prior to her Assessor qualification with Brooks and Kirk, B.J was teaching and had completed her DTLLS. She wanted to take the next step up and become an Assessor, and diverse herself rather than limit herself to only being able to teach. B.J was trying to understand how assessors use the different assessment methods, as her job role was more academic.
When she was trying to find out how to get her CAVA qualification, B.J had done a lot of research in understanding what the qualification actually is. A common problem within the assessing world that B.J also found was that there are a lot of different terminologies and qualifications, which at the time she found difficult to understand. However, one of her colleagues at college helped her.
Incidentally, B.J left her job for a couple of years and as a result she didn’t have access to learners to assess. In order to complete her Assessor qualification, B.J was looking for a course that she could a) complete online, and b) provide learners for her to use. This led her to Brooks and Kirk.
B.J is a lecturer and currently teaching a Level 3 qualification is Psychology in a college. She hopes to go into a Quality Assurance role in the future.
Steven's Story
Steven is a trainee in oral and vascular face surgery working in the NHS. In his spare time he carries out aesthetic work, including botox and fillers, as part of a Level 7 qualification. As a medical student, Steven has always been involved in some level of training. Steven has also been on the medical board of examiners, so he had some background in examination and quality assurance.
His employer was looking for a clinical person to deliver the level 7, but in order for Steven to do this, he needed an IQA qualification. So during the hunt for a training provider, Steven found out about Brooks and Kirk from his current employer, as they had completed the Certificate in Education and Training course with us. Steven didn’t look around at any other providers; he came straight to us.
Steven plans on taking a teaching qualification in the future so that can he both teach and assess his students.
Valarie's Story
Valarie had worked in Management in Adult Social Care since 2004.
She left her full-time job as a Care Manager, and wanted to try working as an Assessor. Valarie felt she had the qualifications and experience to help people gain a qualification in Health and Social Care.
At the time, Valarie’s kids were quite young and she wanted a job that was flexible whilst retaining and utilising her skills and knowledge, so the Assessor course was perfect for her. Like many of our learners, Valarie found Brooks and Kirk online when she was looking for the CAVA course.
Upon completion of her assessor course, Valarie managed to secure a job with a training company. However, she has since left the company as she relocated.
In the future, Valarie would like to start up her own training company providing NVQ’s in Health and Social Care as well as Apprenticeships, and as such, will need some assistance from Brooks and Kirk to set up!
Loriann's Story
Loriann was already working as a Health and Social Care apprenticeship tutor. Working as a trainee assessor, Loriann always knew she wanted to become a fully qualified assessor. Loriann knew she wanted to work with a provider rather than in-house training, just in case other opportunities arose.
Wanting to become a fully qualified assessor, Loriann found out about us on Google, when she was searching for the CAVA course. Loriann found the information on our website extremely helpful. With the online elements and flexible learning, it was perfect for her.
Once finishing the CAVA course with us, Loriann went on to complete the Lead Internal Quality Assurance course. This opened up more avenues for her to do more independent work, as her workplace was opening up an IQA role for her.
Greg's Story
Greg has been a Meat Inspector since 2001. In late 2020, the FSS (Food Standards Scotland) decided to begin training their own Meat Inspectors from scratch as opposed to the previous practice of employing vets from overseas to work as Meat Inspectors. In order to do this, FSS became part of the FSA training centre, using their training programme to ultimately gain qualification from RSPH.
Becoming part of the FSA training centre meant that FSS had to train Inspectors to be Assessors for the course. Greg applied to take on one of the positions for the North of Scotland and was selected.
Greg enrolled on our CAVA course and was completing the qualification alongside working as an assessor. Greg said he felt this was hard going at times and quite time consuming, but he managed to get through both and his two trainees qualified.
Greg trains and assesses trainee inspectors. He is looking forward to continuing in the role and perhaps in future getting an IQA qualification.
Derek's Story
Derek and his wife Pam wanted to their business to become a Highfield Awards Training Centre, so that they could offer a Level 3 Diploma in Commercial Locksmiths and Security.
After not having a good experience with another training organisation undergoing his Award in Education and Training, Derek was very careful in choosing which training company to do his assessors qualification with. Derek found out about us via our website, and the fact that we are family owned & run, and we provide access to learners helped make his decision.
Derek and Pam’s locksmith training centre is now a Highfield Qualifications Approved Training Centre, which has opened up more opportunities for the future.
Edward's Story
Edward has been an IT trainer for more than five years now. He had previous assessing experience as he started out as a trainee Assessor, teaching and assessing IT courses up to level 3. Edward was doing this for two to three years before getting qualified. However as he was unqualified, when he carried out assessments his work had to be countersigned by a qualified Assessor.
Edward had a bad experience with a previous organisation and was only able to complete the first unit of the Assessor qualification. This was also without support. He had to find a way to complete the full qualification.
Edward carried out research online to complete an Assessor course with a professional organisation, and found Brooks and Kirk and started reading through our website. He was happy with what we offered, so decided to re-do his assessors qualification with us. The decision to enrol was made easier due to the flexibility of the payment plan.
Having completed the course, Edward has been able to secure IT assessing jobs alongside his tutoring. He also enrolled on the IQA course with Brooks and Kirk to further increase his knowledge in assessment and internal verification. He says he is looking forward to a challenging yet rewarding learning experience!
Geoff's Story
Geoff was, and still is, working in Control, Automation and Instrumentation. During his time in this current role, Geoff has been coaching nationals at his work in Equatorial Guinea.
His aim for a while had been to get into a position whereby he could assess NVQ candidates. That way, when they come over to the UK, Geoff will be able to help them gain their NVQ Level 3’s.
Geoff is still working for the same oversees company, and since completing his CAVA, he is now more involved with assessing NVQ learners. Just 2 and a half months after he was qualified as an Assessor, he returned to Brooks and Kirk to start his Internal Quality Assurance course!
Lisa's Story
Before starting the course, Lisa already had experience in apprenticeships. She worked as a lecturer in a college on both full time BTEC courses and a new social media apprenticeship standard. Working on both courses opened her eyes and she saw how beneficial the apprenticeship option was for learners.
So, she decided to go back into the industry to get the relevant experience and gain my assessors award, so she could return to apprenticeships with the skills and experience to support learners effectively.
Lisa found Brooks and Kirk online as she was searching for a TAQA course that she could do before having an assessing job. Like many people say, it seemed a bit chicken and egg; many employers wanted assessors to have the award already, but most courses required you to have access to learners to complete the assessments.
Lisa was thrilled when she found Brooks and Kirk as we were able to offer a complete solution. She was able to gain the award while staying in the industry and on completion, the whole job market opened up to her.
Lisa accepted a position as Technical Coach (Digital Marketing Assessor) for The Development Manager, an apprenticeship provider in Worcester.
Lexie's Story
Before enrolling on her Assessor course, Lexie was a chef and pastry chef. That’s where her expertise was, and she had experience in all sorts of areas within the sector, covering all different jobs.
Lexie had never actually got into teaching before, but she really liked the idea of teaching new chefs something that she is so passionate about. Her motivation was all about how amazing it would feel when her learners achieve their qualifications, as she remembers being so proud when she achieved hers.
Like many others, Lexie had Google search of CAVA courses and saw Brooks and Kirk had really great reviews and was really excited about starting. She said we never let her down either!
Lexie is now a chef trainer. She secured the job a year ago, just before the pandemic started.
Lexie tells us it’s the best job she has ever done, and she absolutely loves it. She looks to one day be an area manager and go higher, as she really loves the job and company she works for.
Jodie's Story
For around 10 years, Jodie worked in the Fitness Industry. She started off as a gym instructor and had lots of different roles in leisure. Eventually, Jodie worked her way up to managing a Fitness and Leisure site.
It was during this time that she decided to go into training, as she was involved in a lot of it through her management job. She realised she had quite a passion for it, and this led Jodie down the teaching and assessing route.
A simple google search of ‘Teaching and Assessing courses’ and Brooks and Kirk came up at the top. A call was made to enquire, and Jodie was enrolled on our courses from there.
Jodie works full time as a regional trainer and assessor. She assesses and trains work-based learners in the fitness industry such as apprentices, training to become gym instructors, lifeguards etc.
Melanie's Story
Before enrolling on her IQA course, Melanie was already involved in doing some internal quality assuring for another provider. She thought that the work she did would have more value if she had an IQA qualification to go with it, as it adds a whole layer of professionalism. Even when she first started working in Digital Skills 20+ years ago, she was doing work as an IQA before they had even heard of the quality assurance role. So in a way, Melanie feels that her entire professional career has been leading up to being an IQA.
When Melanie was choosing a training provider and found Brooks and Kirk, she liked the way the whole company ethic. She contacted a few training providers, but wasn’t happy with their level of professionalism.
Since completing the IQA course, Melanie has been offered a higher paying position and has been asked to be involved with writing exam papers on a freelance basis for the Digital Skills qualification. Melanie has also completed the EPA course with Brooks and Kirk since finishing her IQA, and said that was also really good.
Ricky's Story
Ricky was working for a waste management company. The company do a lot of consultations itself, such as environmental permitting for regulated waste facilities so they can build the management systems they need. Ricky said that waste management is a tricky niche and quite old school, but he knew where he wanted to go and to make sure he can deliver the right qualifications.
Ricky had a job offer waiting for him so he was invested and determined to become a qualified assessor so he can be good at his job and have expertise.
When searching the web for a training provider, Ricky came across us at Brooks and Kirk. He compared our prices with other training providers, but once he saw that we offer access to learners, he was sold. Ricky told us that having us provide access to learners for him really took the headache out of everything – he’s even told some of his own learners to enrol on the assessor course, as it makes it so much easier for all parties.
As for his enrolment on the Lead IQA, Ricky couldn’t resist our returning learner discount!
James' Story
James has been in the motor vehicle industry for 20 years now. James, unfortunately, had an accident in 2019, which made it hard to do his physical job, however, he started to look into becoming a trainer.
Wanting to become a fully qualified assessor, James spent about a month researching different training providers online. James said that Brooks and Kirk stood out to him, as we were well-reviewed and had all the correct affiliations.
We originally had a chat with James about his future plans. He had set his sights on establishing his own company delivering training in the health and safety sphere. One year later we decided to reach out once more and see where his qualifications and aspirations had led to:
“September last year I set up my own company doing remote-operated vehicle pilot competencies. We actually only just started trading properly about a month ago and I’m just waiting now for my professional body membership to come through before we try to scale it up a little bit, but that should be in two or three weeks. The next phase from that is in April – May time I’ve got a first aid instructor course, so I’ll also be doing first aid qualifications as well.”
“I’ve taken three people through my qualification recertification process in the last few weeks and it’s getting quicker each time you do it”
Thomas' Story
Thomas was already qualified with the Level 3 Award in Vocationally Related Achievement. Intending to work towards becoming an Internal Quality Assurer, Thomas needed to be a fully qualified assessor and therefore needed to complete Unit 2 of the Assessor qualification.
Wanting to become a fully qualified Assessor, Thomas was referred to Brooks and Kirk by his employer. At the time, he was working for a company of which we have a large cohort with.
In the future, Thomas will looking to complete an Internal Quality Assurance course and keep heading towards the original goal of becoming an IQA.
Barrie's Story
Barrie was joining a company called Mercury International as a Learning and Development Coach. In order to join, Barrie was required to hold a CAVA qualification, and so Mercury recommended Brooks and Kirk. After Barrie was recommended Brooks and Kirk, he didn’t look at any other training providers; plus, his employer helped him to complete it by giving him the time to do so.
Barrie is now happily working full time as a Learning and Development coach in the apprenticeship training sector. He is really happy with the company he works for, as he says it’s great and really close to home for travelling. There’s room for promotion and as the company is big, it does lots of other training as well. He isn’t looking at progress and quality assurance at the moment as he is really happy with where he is.
Elizabeth's Story
During her employment, Elizabeth recognised that she had a flare for assessment and genuinely enjoyed it. She began researching what she could do to further her knowledge and CPD after achieving a Level 3 Award in Education and Training.
Elizabeth added her progress to her LinkedIn profile, and was headhunted by a large training organisation! She was offered an interview to be an Apprenticeship Trainer and Assessor. Elizabeth has now been in this role for a while, and is able to first line assess a wide range of Apprenticeships which match her occupational competency in business.
After achieving the Level 3 CAVA, Elizabeth enrolled with Brooks and Kirk for the Level 4 Lead IQA qualification. Her employer has recognised that she is keen to progress and has welcomed her certification, which Elizabeth thinks will help her climb the ladder in future.
Her plan for the future is to complete the Lead IQA qualification which will lead to other opportunities within her organisation where she could sidestep into Quality Assurance and sharing best practice for assessment. Elizabeth would like to further her knowledge in EPA, and told us her next programme of choice will be EPA related. She says that this way, she feels that not only will she have experience across the board to offer her employer or a future employer, but a suite of certificates to go with it!
David's Story
David started his career in Catering. Then, he went to do a Certificate in Education in 2004, and after that, went on to complete some Management courses.
He then tried to get a job within Education but ended up in a Management role instead – he said management paid better money, and he went back to that for 10 years.
Unfortunately in 2011, David got made redundant. However, this is how he ended up going self-employed, working as a Management Consultant.
David found Brooks and Kirk through an online search – he was looking for the CAVA Course and Brooks and Kirk was one of the first companies to pop up.
He decided to go through his course with us, as our company caught his attention the most.
After completing the CAVA course with us, David took the next step and started on the IQA Course (also with us!) and started looking towards opening a training centre too.
Janet's Story
Janet has previously carried out assessments for ILM qualifications, and was marking assignments for the diplomas and certificates. She was also delivering training sessions.
After a number of years experience in the Leadership & Management world, Janet wanted to be able to offer training and assessment for apprenticeships in Leadership and Management, as Janet says this seems to be the way that training in this area is going. It was the appeal of apprenticeships and taking someone through an 18 month programme rather than the odd training session here and there that got Janet interested.
Janet google searched to find Brooks and Kirk. She had a good look at our website and the blogs we have written, and also our reviews. One of the key things with us was that we provided access to learners for Janet to assess. At the time of her enrolment, the UK was in lockdown and so it was important for Janet that she could carry out her learning experience with us remotely.
Janet is delivering ad hoc training sessions to other small businesses on behalf of Leeds council. She will be starting her first cohort in April 2022, and assesses on a freelance basis for a company in London. She is also involved in marking undergraduate work for a university.
Her plan is to move into End-Point Assessment in a few years time.
John's Story
John had many years’ experience in the public sector as a programme manager, but wanted to try something different. He retrained as a teacher specialising in post 16 business education.
John then got a job at a local college helping to teach people who wanted to go to University, but didn’t have the right qualifications. While working at College he was also asked to help business administration and customer service Apprentices through supervising their ‘day at college’, and discovered he enjoyed supporting Apprentices.
Now, John is working with a different set of Apprentices at a College in the same group as his first College, and covering a different set of business related learning. He feels that he is learning in a different way and can offer a good level of support to the learners, as a result of the Assessor training he received.
Lisa's Story
Prior to the assessor course, Lisa worked in Retail Management for 16 years.
Lisa found Brooks and Kirk online through a Google search. She decided she wanted to become an assessor start assessing in retail.
After doing a bit of research, Lisa found out that she needed to do the CAVA course. She then went back to Google to search for training providers. They were all saying she needed learners to assess but she had no way of getting hold of two learners…
Lisa found our website and saw that we provide the learners. She then researched Brooks and Kirk further by having a look at our reviews. After that, she took the plunge and decided to start her assessor training journey with us.
Lisa finished the CAVA course and after speaking with Laura, she told her she could do the Level 3 in Education and Training and most of it was covered in the CAVA – so there wasn’t much additional work!
Lisa realised that having AET with her CAVA would give her the edge in the job market. So, she proceeded to complete the Level 3 Education and Training straight after the CAVA.
She then started applying for jobs and is now working as an End-Point Assessor, and she says she’s really enjoying it and loving every second.
Mary's Story
After a 30 year career in Management and Leadership, Mary decided to retrain as an Assessor. She wanted more flexible freelance work part-time, that would enabled her to use her experience to support more Junior Managers and Leaders, to develop their skills and knowledge. Mary wanted to find work as an End-Point Assessor for Chartered Manager and/or Senior Leaders Masters Degree Apprenticeships.
Mary researched many training providers and looked at student feedback. She wanted a professional training company and a recognised qualification for EPA roles. As she was not employed at the time, Mary needed a training provider that could also provide Apprentices that she could assess/observe in order to complete the qualification.
Since completing the training, Mary has successfully completed the selection process for the Open University Chartered Manager and Senior Leaders Master’s Degree Apprenticeship – Leadership Practice Tutor (Tutor/Assessor role). At the time of chatting with Mary, she was waiting my first cohort of students. As Practice Tutor she will support the same cohort of students for the whole of their 3-year course. Mary has also been offered an IEPA contract with Charter Institute of Purchasing & Supply and will start with the Level 4 Diploma Apprenticeship End Point Assessments.
Mary had training day assessments scheduled with City and Guilds Degree Apprenticeship courses for Chartered Manager in late February and Senior Leader in early March 2021.
She completed the Brooks and Kirk EPA CPD training in January 2021, which she said was again really helpful in orientating her around the end point assessment processes specifically. Mary said she would recommend this course to anyone thinking of starting EPA work, it was very informative with lots of self-assessment activities throughout.
She hopes to follow on at some point with the IQA training once she has gained some experience as an IEPA – just to give me a rounded skillset, further developing my IEPA capability.
So from starting her CAVA course in March 2020 – in just 12 months she has completed the training, become qualified & secured a number of contracts for freelance work in her new chosen career at an IEPA & Leadership Tutor.
Heather's Story
Heather has worked in the charity sector, and wanted to complete our CAVA and EPA course so she can upskill her knowledge. She wanted to complete the courses so they can help support her in her role.
Since completing the course, Heather’s role has evolved into the management of organisational work-based learning provisions. Heather intends to utilise her new knowledge and skills further by introducing a wider suite of vocational learning programmes in her workplace.
Helga's Story
Helga is a Dental Nurse with fifteen years of experience in the profession. Since qualifying, she has continued to develop both clinically and administratively and remains actively involved in clinical practice. Throughout her career, she has discovered that training new Dental Nurses is where her true passion lies. In one role, she trained an entire team of trainees and helped build a dental practice from the ground up.
She currently works clinically within an NHS Trust, which is in the process of developing a training school for dental teams. She decided to complete the assessing qualification to strengthen her knowledge and skills while supporting learners.
She discovered Brooks and Kirk through online research. The ability to provide learners for assessment made the decision straightforward.
She strongly recommends Brooks and Kirk to others considering training.“Just do it,” she said. “They are a really good training provider.”
Gemma's Story
After leaving school, Gemma worked in a variety of roles before settling into the dental sector. She started as a trainee dental nurse in 2005 and steadily built her skills and experience. In 2015, she completed her dental nursing qualification and continued developing professionally within the field.
After working as a dental nurse for several years, Gemma decided to progress her career and move into training and assessing trainee dental nurses.
“I wanted to take the next step in my career and start training and assessing others,” Gemma explained.
Gemma discovered Brooks and Kirk through an online search and liked that the centre was based close to her.
She found the course easy to navigate and completed it within the required deadlines.
Gemma encourages others to enrol with Brooks and Kirk.
“I would advise anyone to enrol,” she said. “They have been very good and really worked out for me.”
Fay's Story
Fay has been a dental nurse for 24 years, she has been teaching dental nurse courses since 2016. She teaches the main dental nurse qualification in her workplace. She wanted the CAVA to be able to assess the qualification as well.
She found us online and needed the CAVA for what she wanted to do, which naturally led to the IQA course.
The course with us has been really good, it’s simples to follow on the platform. If she had any questions she always emailed or called and we got back to her that same day so she was happy with the support she received.
She likes the mix of blended learning as she is dyslexic. So she has the writing but also the ability to watch videos, do the zoom and get a feel for the real world.
She wants to continue to assess and IQA, which will keep carrying her forward for the rest of her career.
She also really liked how it was transferable, and that it didn’t relate to one single sector, because if she wanted to move away from dental nursing she could because she has the course.
‘Do it. It’s a really good course and don’t be afraid to ask for help, as the help is there.’
Clare's Story
Clare originally enrolled on CAVA and AET to meet awarding body requirements. She never expected those qualifications to help her achieve a long-held ambition. Today, she works full time in education as a Tutor Assessor and supports learners as they progress in their careers.
Clare worked in the dental education and assessment sector while balancing assessment work alongside another role. Education always interested her, but she viewed it as a long-term aspiration rather than a realistic career move.
“CAVA became a requirement, and I had to complete AET when my previous teaching qualification was no longer recognised,” Clare explained.
Clare completed both qualifications and continued working as a second-job assessor for the National Certificate in Dental Radiography and the National Certificate in Dental Nursing.
She encourages others who need CAVA or AET for professional reasons to view the qualifications as opportunities rather than obstacles.