Andre Verwijs
Membership Grade: Not supplied
Length of IfL Membership: 1 Year 10 Months
Current Position: Course Team Leader, Lecturer
Reserved Seat: FE Colleges/East Midlands
Being a lecturer of Communications in IT for BTEC Nationals and a Course Team Leader and lecturer for the Access to H.E.in Computing as well as for the “A level” courses in Dutch at Leicester College, one of the top 15 F.E. providers in the U.K., I have the opportunity to work with students from a wide ethnic range and ability.
My interest in languages and fluency in Dutch, German, French, Spanish and Portuguese as well as having smatterings of Italian and Greek help me to communicate easily with people from different cultures and appreciate unexpected viewpoints and perceptions.
Since coming to the U.K. in 1992, from being in the holiday real estate business in Portugal, I have taught German, French,Spanish, Dutch and Software Skills and in 2003 became a full time lecturer with my current employer. Here I also achieved my Certificate in Education.
As a co-founder of our college’s “Sustainability Forum” I have been allowed to be part of shaping the change of perceptions in our organisation in regards to our “carbon footprint” resulting in a more responsible use of energy and an eco friendly approach in our college. Communicating with management at all levels has given me confidence and a practical insight in dealing with organisational systems and hierarchy.
Cycling is one of my hobbies and on our latest college development days I organised events and secured sponsoring by Leicester City Council, to promote travelling by bicycle between our campuses which are spread across the city. Both staff and upper management took part in this activity which raised awareness and motivated colleagues to take up cycling.
My goal as a council member would be to help make the IfL more accessible to members in order for it to become more effective.
At present, colleagues appear slightly apprehensive of the IfL format, the volume of information and maybe even the implications of what the IfL represents. It is essential that members come to see it as something of their own, not just another compulsory administrative chore that allows access to the educational equivalent of the “Equity Card”.
A user friendly interface with the system will help members to be in closer contact with the Institute and to appreciate better the value of being able to register their Continuing Professional Development (CPD), lending weight to their membership and providing an official record of their growing competencies.
The evidence of development undertaken and knowledge gained through IfL will support those working in Education on their career path and help them to achieve QTLS or ATLS and create a more capable workforce in Education.
