Progressing as a HR CIPD professional with EKC Canterbury College – Yvonne

Yvonne is currently studying our Level 5 CIPD Associate Diploma in People Management.  

As a HR Administrator for The Stour Academy Trust, she’s building on her experience and progressing her career with this accredited qualification, especially as CIPD membership is now essential for many HR roles. 

We caught up with her to learn why she chose to study with us, how the course is supporting her development, and why she believes face-to-face learning makes such a difference. 

Why did you choose to study the CIPD course at EKC Canterbury College? 

“A lot of companies now require you, if you want to be a HR manager, to have a CIPD qualification, whether that be at Level 3 or Level 5.  

“I previously did my Level 3 CIPD qualification all online, during which I decided I wanted to do the Level 5 course in the College environment. I find it much easier to learn face-to-face.  

“The biggest benefit of doing a course like this in person, is that you’re able to speak to other students and talk things out. You can bounce your ideas off each other and your Lecturer is there in person to support this. They’re also available to help you at any time.” 

What is it like to study alongside other HR professionals?  

“It’s been really good so far. Being able to get different perspectives is really valuable. I’m able to talk through things that are going on in my workplace, and I can get support for my evidence for the qualification. 

“I’m currently a HR Administrator within a multi-academy trust. We’ve got nine schools, and there’s around 450 staff to look after. I work a lot with payroll in addition to other HR functions. The course is gradually giving me more confidence to be able to deal with all of that on a daily basis.” 

How does the course work alongside your current role? 

“Doing the course has worked perfectly alongside my role. I come to College from 3pm to 7pm on a Tuesday.  

“I’m at work from 8am until 4pm on a normal day, but my employer allows me to have Tuesdays as a College day so I can study at home in the morning.“ 

How is the course helping you with your career and your progression? 

“It’s already helped me in my role as I’ve learnt about new policies and understood how they can be put into practice.  

“I’ve also learnt in-depth about the role of trade unions and some new aspects of HR law. Generally, it’s helping me develop on a day-to-day basis. 

“Once I’ve finished the Level 5 qualification, I’m looking to become Head of HR in my company and take that next step up.”  

What’s the support like at College from your Lecturer and the team? 

“The support in place is really good. My Lecturer, Kate, is very supportive. You can ask her anything and if you’ve got a problem you can go to her.  

“I had to miss some of the course due to personal reasons, but I was given extra time to complete work.  

“Kate has such a wealth of knowledge as she’s worked in HR roles for over 25 years. You wouldn’t get that sort of knowledge if you did an online course and sat in front of a computer screen for the whole time.” 

What would you say to someone thinking about studying a CIPD qualification to boost their career?  

“I’d say it’s 100% worth it. Achieve your CIPD qualifications in College because you need people around you to get experiences for your career. 

“I would also recommend studying in Canterbury with Kate’s wealth of knowledge in HR. It has been really valuable that she uses her own examples when she explains the course content. I feel I’ve benefited significantly from choosing to study at EKC Canterbury College.” 

Thank you to Yvonne for sharing her experiences on our Level 5 CIPD Associate Diploma in People Management course. 

If you’d like to take the next step to becoming a HR professional, our CIPD courses are perfect. Delivered in person by our experienced lecturers, they’ll give you all the skills you need to become confident and CIPD accredited. 

Learn more and apply today.