Becca Collins

Becca Collins is an outreach professional who is passionate about getting young people into skilled careers. After graduating from Kent she began her employment in the heritage sector and is now utilising her experience to make higher education more accessable to those interested in studying medicine.

Tell us about your career path since graduation.

After graduation I got a job as a Learning and Education Assistant at The Powell Cotton Museum in Birchington where I supported the team in developing and delivering a programme of educational activities for primary school children in the museum’s interactive gallery.

I then moved to London and worked a series of temp jobs, before securing a position at Construction Youth Trust as a Schools and Partnerships Coordinator. This primarily involved working across the Southwark and Lambeth hubs with young people who weren’t in education, employment, or training to support them into successful outcomes in the construction industry. This was not a sector I foresaw myself working in but I grew to love the inclusivity and social mobility that it offered. After three years I was promoted to Programmes Manager of the North Kent hub, where I had the opportunity to develop the programmes the team delivered and also work with local authorities to help shape interventions for young people in Kent and Medway Youth Offending Institutes.

In November 2022 I found myself back on the Canterbury campus when I joined Kent and Medway Medical School as their Outreach Officer. This was an exciting opportunity as I’m passionate about the mission to address the healthcare inequalities in the local area and my role allows me to support the widening participation aims of the university to help young people from diverse backgrounds access higher education.

What does a typical work day look like for you?

As an Outreach Officer my role is very varied and I enjoy having something different to do each day. I may be in the office and having meetings with the wider medical team to understand how I can implement the KMMS curriculum into my outreach programmes, or I may be out on the road delivering our innovative Future Doctors programme in a local school or college.

One of my favourite parts of my job is facilitating the Virtual Medical Society, which is an online programme for students in Years 9-12, that aims to increase awareness of what is involved in studying medicine and other healthcare subjects at university.

Can you share a professional highlight from your career so far?

The highlight of my career so far was managing a high-level stakeholder event at Construction Youth Trust to showcase how major gifts from the Colyer Ferguson Charitable Trust, BBC Children in Need, and Ebbsfleet Development Corporation had helped enable young people in Kent to successfully progress into education, training, or employment following the completion of our programmes. The event was attended by CYT’s patron, HRH The Duke of Gloucester, and it was a real honour to share the inspirational stories of our young people with him.

On a human level, I loved witnessing the journey of those who benefitted from our programmes – seeing their confidence levels increase in real time was remarkable!

How did your time at Kent help you achieve your current career?

Many of my friends at Kent studied different courses to me and this meant we were able to have conversations that challenged my views and enlightened me to the necessity of overcoming social barriers. Having a strong sense of empathy has been so important in my line of work and I think being able to meet friends from many different backgrounds at university was crucial to me understanding the contrasting motivations of those in my circle.

I also particularly enjoyed the modernism module on my course. It really instilled in me the idea that moments of crisis can give rise to new ways of thinking.

What advice would you give to our current/prospective students who are looking to get into the same line of work?

I think that it’s really important to have lived experience of the ‘real world’ to complement your learning from university.

Do you have a favourite memory from your time at Kent?

I really love Canterbury at Christmastime. One of my favourite memories was going to Tiny Tim’s with my housemates and then picking out a Christmas tree and having to carry it back up the hill to our flat. We then decorated our lounge while watching The Holiday with mulled wine.

Is there anything you would do differently if you could repeat your time at Kent?

I would have taken advantage of opportunities to widen my knowledge outside of my academic learning, perhaps by exploring options of a year in industry.

Are you still in touch with other Kent alumni or academics?

Yes! I was fortunate enough to meet four of my very best friends on my first day at Kent when we moved into the same flat. Long live Keynes Q15!

What are your future ambitions?

I hope to continue to feel fulfilled by my work. Outside of that I would like to travel more to experience different ways of living around the globe.