“Management is the technical part of leadership”

But her experience as a science teacher helped her “integration” into the care sector, she adds. 

“There were certain health problems that I had learned about at university, which made it a bit easier. I studied them in the abstract, and then I came into this care environment and saw them in the real sense, so that gave me an interest in care,” says Amina. 

From Level 5 to Level 7

From there, Amina worked across different health systems and became a deputy manager in 2016, which is when she turned back towards education. 

She had already begun training healthcare workers in 2013 for their diploma, apprenticeship and mandatory courses, becoming a quality assurer as well. But she aimed to go higher. 

“I realised I needed to enhance my knowledge of management,” she says. “I enrolled on a Level 5 healthcare course, which is more or less a foundation in leadership and management in healthcare.” 

After this, she chose to study for a master’s, also in leading and managing in healthcare, giving her a Level 7 qualification. 

“In 2017, I completed both, and that was when I began teaching again,” Amina says. 

“I’ve always aspired to teach in higher education. In 2019, I was fortunate to be employed by a college which was affiliated to a university. When I was at that school, it gave me insight into how much skill I have in management and how well I can manage resources, because I started that department from scratch and mentored colleagues on the different modules to facilitate teaching and enhance learning.”