A woman has credited a teacher recruitment event for changing her life.

The Welsh Government-funded PGCE event in Cardiff was aimed at promoting teaching as a career to people from ethnic minority communities.

It was here that aspiring teacher Adele found out about the different pathways to becoming a teacher.

Having always wanted to be a teacher, Adele's dreams were put on hold when she moved to the UK and was left with low self-esteem, as her qualifications fell short of what was required for teacher training.

After attending the event and listening to stories from teachers from Black, Asian, and minority ethnic backgrounds, she felt inspired to reapply to university, and she is now studying a PGCE course at Cardiff Metropolitan University.

Adele said: "I really do believe that if it wasn’t for me attending the PGCE event I would have not persisted through in my application process.

"My desire to teach is deeply rooted in the belief that education can transform lives.

"I’ve seen this truth firsthand.

"My mother, a nurse, bravely migrated our family to Cardiff, and her pursuit of education opened doors that reshaped our future.

"I want to be that catalyst for change in the lives of children, showing them that no dream is too big and no obstacle too great to overcome.

"I want to help children find their ‘cynefin’."

The recruitment events, organised by the Education Workforce Council (EWC) and the ITE partnerships, are set to take place again in October this year as part of Black History 365.

The events are hosted in regional hubs in Cardiff, Swansea and Bangor.

The events are part of a wider campaign to increase the number of Black, Asian, and minority ethnic teachers in Wales.

Cabinet Secretary for Education, Lynne Neagle, said: "Education can take us a long way in addressing the social, cultural, and structural factors that sustain racial inequality.

"To do this, it is vital that we increase the diversity of our teaching workforce.

"Adele’s story is an inspiring example of how successful partnership working can achieve this.

"I am committed to ensuring we have a workforce that better reflects the population of Wales to better support our learners and ensure they see themselves reflected in the people who are teaching them."

Aminur Rahman, recruitment and support officer at the Education Workforce Council (EWC), said: “It's vital that our education system reflects the diverse communities it serves, and events like this help ensure that everyone feels represented and supported in pursuing a career in education."