Are you wanting to upskill, change career paths entirely or simply pursue your passions? You NEED to look into Massey University’s Certificate of Proficiency – just like Leanne did. Here’s her incredible story of success (and check out our yarn with budding vet Brooklyn here!)
Have you ever sat around with your best friend over a glass of wine and talked about the path that you didn’t take?
The ‘what if’ yarn we’ve all had with our besties is one of life’s inevitabilities – every decision comes with an opportunity cost, every choice is partnered with reality, responsibly and practicality.
A lot of us don’t do anything about the ‘what if’s’. Leanne Solomon, however, did – and despite a huge setback after being diagnosed with dyslexia at 48 years old, she’s absolutely winning with her new life direction, training to be a bicultural social worker.
Leanne (Te Arawa) is one of those beautiful people whose mission in life has always been to help others. It’s her calling, her passion and what she’s good at.
But it took her a few decades to realise HOW she wanted to help people. Life, as it does, gets in the way. But as Leanne says, it’s never – never – too late to follow your passion.
After coming home following two decades living in Australia, Leanne, who had been working as a support worker, helping people with disabilities, finally realised that she wanted to be a social worker.
“It took me a minute – honestly at the time, I wanted to be a flight attendant or work on a cruise ship, but we’ve all had that dream!” she laughs. “But working as a support worker, which I do love, and it helped me realise that helping people is where I’m meant to be.”
But after enrolling in a four-year course at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa in bicultural social services, Leanne hit a huge hurdle in her second year.
“I passed the first year, but then in the second year I noticed that I wasn’t doing as well, and I couldn’t figure out why,” she says. “Honestly, at the time, I thought I was dumb.”
With her confidence at an all-time low, Leanne was devastated, until a simple test revealed the truth – she had dyslexia. Finding out at 48 years old was a huge shock, she admits, but it explained so much. “Like why I didn’t succeed at high school,” she nods. “I went through all of my schooling thinking I was dumb. Why didn’t I find this out earlier?”
But, with the help of supportive tutors at both Te Wānanga and Massey University, Leanne decided to step back from her social studies course and take up a Certificate of Proficiency at Massey University, to help her brush up on her writing and paraphrasing skills before resuming her wider studies.
What is a Certificate of Proficiency?
Ok, so the best way to think of a Certificate of Proficiency (CoP) is that it’s a sampler course for wider tertiary study. Basically, it makes Massey University your oyster – you can choose any courses (papers) from Massey’s huge range and tailor a little study programme that’s personalised just for you.
People use the CoP for lots of different reasons, but here’s a few of them:
- Professionals looking to add to their credibility/ career with upskilling
- Those wanting to see what university is like – the uni sampler, if you will
- Those looking to dabble in passion projects or learning
- Those who are unsure where they want to go with their learning and career
- Those wanting to upskill themselves or prepare themselves before embarking on a formal qualification.
Click here for our more in-depth breakdown of Massey University’s Certificate of Proficiency (link to first story).
While not a formal qualification, you can earn credits towards one while doing the courses within the CoP, which is rad, and it’s there to support whatever learning goals you have.
Says Massey University Executive Director, Student Experience Amy Heise, stories like Leanne’s are the exact reason the CoP exists.
“It’s so great – it’s really there both as a support, as well as to help people not limit their options,” she says. “You don’t need to restrict yourself with a CoP – you can basically do any of the courses that you’ve got the entry requirements to get into. It’s a nice, beautiful way of trying something new.”
For Leanne, it was a lifesaver as she was able to take courses to help her writing, which in turn have strengthened her skills in her main qualification. Her life – and her outlook – has changed completely.
“The confidence it’s given me… it’s amazing,” she says. “I think women struggle with that a bit anyway, but with the dyslexia, it’s been great. I’ve absolutely loved it, and I had amazing tutors who really understood me and my situation. I really want to thank my tutors actually, they’ve been amazing.
“Doing the CoP courses has prepared me to go back, and it’s made my mind sharper and I understand a lot more – but it’s the confidence that’s really helped. I feel so much more confident now.”
Her advice for any woman who is thinking about changing career, or embarking on a whole new passion, in their 40s? Just do it.
“Any woman who is in my situation or similar, or who just wants a change, please just give it a go. Once you start on that journey of knowledge and understanding, you can achieve so much. Don’t hesitate, just jump in with both feet because I guarantee it’s not as bad as you think.”
Leanne continues, “The self-doubt is so tough, it’s such a bad habit and it’s so sad. But I thought, ‘No, I’m not going to sit back and keep thinking I can’t do this. I’m going to be the change. I can do this.
“It’s so empowering. I want to be Prime Minister now!”
Massey University’s Certificate of Proficiency: What You Need to Know:
- It allows people to try out studying without committing to a full degree.
- The Certificate of Proficiency is not a formal qualification (ironically, you don’t get a certificate!) but it IS a stepping stone for further study, and you can earn credits towards a degree later.
- You can complete the Certificate of Proficiency extramurally, without full-time commitment