Level 5 Diploma helps realize a new dream

Jinjian Yan

When Jinjian Yan was in her thirties, she felt time flying by.

After having children sparked an interest in education and child development, she decided to leave a decade-long career in fashion buying and management to work as an assistant teacher at an ECE center.

A year later she enrolled at the New Zealand Tertiary College for the New Zealand Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care (Level 5).

“During what should have been an ideal time for college earlier in my life, I found myself lost and unsure of which path to take. When I finally discovered something I really enjoyed, early childhood education, the timing was wrong because I had other responsibilities like raising my children,” Yan explains.

Determined to pursue her new career professionally and acquire the skills needed to become a great teacher, Yan leaned on the student support of NZTC and her family, and will graduate in May 2024.

The flexibility of NZTC’s programs has allowed her to work full-time while completing her qualification and learning ‘on the job’ from other teachers.

“Study helps me understand the ‘why’ and the underlying logic, while practice helps me develop and learn different strategies. After each course, I find myself connecting the dots with my work experiences, leading to those “aha!” moments,” she says.

“To create your own teaching style, you need both.”

Yan has found the most value in her Cultural Responsive Early Childhood Education course, which helps her better understand the country and culture.

The course supports student teachers to understand the Treaty of Waitangi/Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its impact on early childhood education, and to sensitively navigate the cultural diversity in ECE communities.

With the Level 5 diploma giving her the confidence and foundation of knowledge to continue in her new career, Yan says she will study the Level 6 and Level 7 programs until she is a fully qualified teacher.

“I knew that when I went back to study, I had to be able to work at the same time. I can’t just hit the books without working; I have two young children to support.

“New Zealand Tertiary College offers people like me a great opportunity to study and build a new career through flexible study and lower costs.”

The New Zealand Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care (Level 5) currently offers a 70% fee reduction for domestic students only. Students must start studying at NZTC by Monday 4 November 2024. General terms and conditions apply.