DCG Success Stories

When Halima Khanom became a mother last year she decided to go back into education because she ‘wanted a career, not just a job.’

So, after researching courses online, she enrolled on the CACHE Counselling Level 2 and Mental Health Awareness Level 2 at Derby College in Ilkeston.

Thanks to her qualifications, Halima recently got a job in mental health counselling with P3 Mental Health Services in Ripley and plans to progress to Level 3 Mental Health at DCG in September.

She said: “I chose to study mental health, because, throughout my life friends have come and talked to me about their issues.

“The course content has been a real eye opener. Now when people are talking to me about their problems, I can tell them things in a better way. I’ve got the right language and, most importantly, the knowledge base.

“My DCG lecturer, Julie, is absolutely amazing. She’s encouraged me so much and been so understanding about me having a young child to look after. I don’t think I would have stuck at it without her support.”

Derby College has also helped Halima secure nursery place funding for her daughter so she can attend classes.

She added: “I can’t recommend going back into education and taking community-based courses with Derby College highly enough. I’ve also been taking poetry for pleasure classes on Tuesday afternoons at the Ilkeston site and I’m starting a creative writing course there after Easter.

No one was able to socialise much during the pandemic so these courses are good for social interaction as well as learning new things.”