We caught up with Paolo Bottiglieri, a progress & performance tutor at the College, to find out about his role, how he supports our students and what inspired him to work in education. There's so much support available to you at College - apply online now to secure your place for September.
Please explain a bit about what your role as a PPT involves
A progress & performance tutor (PPT) is a unique role that is a part of a College study programme. We work alongside vocational and English & maths tutors and run weekly PPT lessons to ensure that students’ pastoral needs are being met, and progress is being made within their programme. This is achieved by attending 1:1 PPT meetings where performance is discussed and checked. Students also attend weekly lessons where a wide range of real-life topics are discussed and explored either as a class or with employer involvement. It is also an invaluable time for students to share their thoughts and for us to identify any barriers to learning that we may need to support.
What did you do before working at MidKent College?
I’ve worked in education since 2010 in a number of different educational settings and have thoroughly enjoyed supporting students in their journey in all my roles. Being at MidKent College, I can continue this either by assisting students to progress onto university via UCAS, or applying for different employment opportunities, or engaging with employers explaining their job roles.
What inspired you to teach?
Being a youth worker before going into the education sector allowed me to experience working alongside young people, which showed that each day is different. This is especially true in education which is something I thoroughly enjoy in my current role. I have a passion for supporting young people and ensuring that they can achieve and reach their potential in any of their chosen career paths.
What do you enjoy about the role - please tell us about any success stories you've been involved with
I enjoy working alongside different students across all the groups that I’ve been assigned. Each student is different and tailoring the support they need, no matter how big or small, is what makes my role unique and special.
I started working at MidKent College in 2017 and since then I have seen students progress from our Level 1 programmes, right through to our Level 3 programmes and they are now at university. I have been able to support Level 3 students, who are now doing well at a nursery setting or studying Midwifery at university and being a COVID vaccinator alongside their studies. Most recently, I was able to invite a previous Level 3 student back to assist with our work ready interviews, as they now work for a care provider as a supervisor alongside studying Criminology at university. They were able to provide feedback to our current students, having experienced the same college journey previously, which is brilliant inspiration for them.
