Elin Jones, eLearning Apprentice interview

Published: 26 January 2024

In September 2023, we welcomed our first ever apprentice, Elin Jones. We hear from Elin about her passion for education, the eLearning Apprenticeship programme, and her Welsh upbringing in London. 

The chance to bring together your professional experience and personal passions, and develop skills - in an area of rapidly growing importance - in your chosen sector is certainly a compelling one. For Elin, this unique opportunity is exactly what drew her to an e-learning apprenticeship at UoSiL. 

Elin’s passion for the education sector began a decade ago when she took up a primary teaching role in north-west London. Graduating with her PGCE in 2015, she became a Key Stage 2 teacher. In 2021, though, Elin embarked upon a career change that supported her love for art and design – especially textiles. Starting a graduate diploma in Interior Design she then moved into a kitchen design role. 

However, it was not long before Elin felt the desire to return to education – “I missed making a difference… the interaction with students was something I really enjoyed.” With friends speaking positively of the higher education sector, it felt like the next logical career step. For Elin, UoSiL and the eLearning apprenticeship had real appeal “It’s an exciting time to join the university with all the future developments. There was also a strong emphasis on allocating the time for me to complete my professional learning goals.” 

Elin’s apprenticeship, due to last until March 2025, will cover a broad range of areas including; identifying, adopting, and maximizing new e-Learning technologies, analysing and better understanding student digital learning needs, and designing new eLearning content. The key focus, for Elin, is “Enhancing and improving what we are currently doing, in digital skills and eLearning, for the benefit of students.” 

With project-based assessments and interviews to complete through the programme, along the UoSiL Digital Learning team’s strong ambitions, expectations are high. However, with the professional mentor assigned to Elin as part of the apprenticeship, an e-Learning apprentices' network, and the confidence of UoSiL colleagues, Evi Liatri - Assistant Head of Student Administration (Digital Learning) and Caroline Bearpark – eLearning Coordinator, she is very well supported and motivated. “It’s been a great experience so far and, for me, the high expectations are a real driver for success.” 

The University's highly diverse and international student base was another draw for Elin, given her Welsh upbringing in London. Born in Hammersmith but to Welsh parents and attending a Welsh-only speaking school, it was not until 9 years of age that Elin read her first book in English – and with difficulty. But with her strong belief in the personal betterment offered by reading and the “transformative power of storytelling” the challenge was met. For Elin, this experience proved invaluable when tackling some of struggles faced by the primary school pupils she taught.  

Looking forward to upcoming programme activities, including how AI can be used ethically in a higher education setting and a learning gamification project, there is much work ahead. But with Elin’s ability to draw on her extensive teaching experience, her reading and design passions, and her determination to succeed, the Digital Learning team at UoSiL will continue to make strides.