Helping Others Flourish: Heather Marks Shares the Transformative Power of Vocational Education in New Further Education Book
Colleagues at Capel Manor College came together to celebrate the publication of a chapter that Deputy Principal, Heather Marks contributed to a new book that explores the experiences and leadership journeys of senior leaders across the Further Education sector.
The chapter reflects on Heather’s own remarkable journey in Further Education, from leaving school at 16 with few qualifications and beginning her career as a floristry apprentice, to becoming a Deputy Principal and doctoral researcher.
Before reading an excerpt from her chapter to colleagues, Heather shared details of her childhood and challenges she encountered along the way in her education, including a teacher who dismissed her interests and passion for reading and writing, judging her solely based on her grades.
The positive impact of vocational training
Heather did not leave school with a strong set of qualifications; however, it was when she enrolled on a floristry apprenticeship that she thrived. She progressed from Level 1 through to Level 5 and became a City & Guilds qualified florist. Heather had found a career pathway that suited her and vocational training enabled her to make that happen. Her experience highlights the value of work-based, practical learning for those students who are either not well suited to a traditional academic route or have been failed by the school system.
It was while running her own flower shop that Heather discovered she also found joy in training her own apprentices and was becoming a teacher without yet knowing it. Her defining moment came when she was at a crossroads in her career and visited a local land-based college. In her chapter she explains the significance of that day:
“From the moment I walked through the doors, I felt like I had arrived home. The environment was alive with possibility.”
Heather was welcomed at the college, and it was from here that her teaching journey in Further Education began.
Today, Heather is Deputy Principal at Capel Manor College and doctoral researcher. Heather draws on her journey and experiences in her leadership at Capel Manor College, and her focus is always on recognising potential in others.
Heather understands the importance of a specialist college like Capel Manor College in providing inclusive access to green skills education to all. “Leadership is not about being the most important person in the room,” she states “It is about creating belonging, connection and opportunities. It is about recognising potential in others, sometimes before they can see it for themselves and helping them to flourish.”
The publication marks an important milestone in Heather’s career and celebrates the transformative role that Further Education can play in people’s lives. Her journey demonstrates how education, opportunity and supportive leadership can help students to develop their confidence, discover their potential and go on to inspire others.
“I hope the chapter encourages others to consider not only what we achieve as leaders, but what we make possible for those around us.”
Her story is a powerful reminder of the opportunities that Further Education and land-based studies can create and of the lasting impact that leaders can have when their focus is on helping others to flourish.
Heather’s chapter, Helping Others Flourish, features in Inspiring Senior Leadership in Further Education: Stories from the Frontline, edited by Dr Rebecca Gater and published by Routledge.
