Can I train to be a Teaching Assistant online?

[JennetHumfrye]

I am yearning to leave my corporate job and retrain as a Teaching Assistant. I currently work full time and have a an hour and a half commute to and from work meaning I don't usually get back home until 7pm.
This is preventing me finding any teacher training courses that are classroom based that I can regularly attend.
I spoke to the National Careers service and they recommended an online provider such as Learn Direct, but is this really viewed by potential employers as well as a classroom based course?
It would be fantastic if it is but I don't want to spend money on a course that won't help me in the long run.

Also they offer two courses. One is RQF Level 2 and the other is NCFE Level 2. Does anyone have any experience of which awarding body is more favourable?

As for actual experience with children, I have arranged two weeks of annual leave to spent in a local school volunteering.

Following.....

While I've no doubt that a qualification is good, we hired TAs in my school with no qualifications at all, just enthusiasm!

I can’t imagine the course is very good if it’s not got practical experience at the heart of it!

I wanted to be a TA, there's a portion of training where you had to volunteer in schools.etc, none of the schools near me had space at the time and with Covid, it got much harder.

Good luck tho.

I don't think you need to be volunteering/working in a school for the Level2 but you do for Level3 and would be more employable for doing so as you have practical examples to reference. Many classroom volunteers apply when a paid vacancy arises at that school.

Yes but you will need a number of classroom hours so will need to work out how to do that, would your work release you - maybe do you could negotiate longer days, would they be receptive?