What better way for our learners to discover more about the sector they want to work in than by hearing directly from industry professionals? North Hertfordshire College’s learners across our Health and Social Care programmes have been joined by a variety of expert guest speakers throughout the 22/23 academic year for some first-hand insight into different career paths.
Check out some of our favourite visits in our workshop wrap-up!
Jane Layne: Career progression talk from a Mental Health Nurse 💭
Jane Layne, a senior manager in the Quality Professional Improvement team for NHS East of England, joined first-year Level 3 learners to chat about her career journey from a qualified mental health nurse to her current role in quality improvement. During her session, Jane discussed the 6 C’s of nursing which underpin everything the NHS does. She also shared her first-hand experiences to provide real examples of the theories and concepts our learners have covered in class.
For our learners, this was a great opportunity to explore career progression opportunities in the healthcare sector. Erin Bell, one of our level 3 learners, said: “It was really interesting to see how Jane’s career progressed and changed from her original job.”
Denny Cody: Midwife at Lister Hospital 👶
Registered midwife Denny Cody’s session with our Level 3 learners focused on the importance of person-centred approaches to care and the current challenges in the healthcare sector. As well as sharing details about her own career journey and her current responsibilities as a midwife, Denny also led a myth-busting session to clear up common misconceptions about the role of midwives. Our learners left the session feeling inspired and more confident about their future career choices, with Level 3 student Amelia Dumbrell commenting: “having guest speakers really helps make what we learn in college real.”
Suzanne Welch, one of NHC’s Health & Social Care tutors, commented: “Denny’s passion for supporting mums and families was clearly evident. She’s an inspiration for our next generation of midwives!”
Anna Copper – Dementia Friends 🤝
Did you know that, outside of our classrooms, NHC Health & Social Care tutor Anna Copper is a volunteer Alzheimer’s Society Ambassador who trains people to be Dementia Friends?
The initiative is designed to change people’s perceptions of dementia by transforming the way the nation thinks, talks, and acts around the condition. By training Dementia Friends across the country, Alzheimer’s Society aims to create friendly faces within local areas that understand and can include people with dementia in their community. We’re pleased to share that our Level 3 learners are now trained Dementia Friends following their session with Anna!
Reflecting on the experience, Anna Copper told us: “I’m so proud to be part of a growing network of people helping to create dementia-friendly communities across England and Wales, and I was overjoyed to see so many of our learners become Dementia Friends.”
If you’re interested in starting a career in the Health & Social Care and want to hear first-hand experiences from industry experts, then be sure to check out North Hertfordshire College’s Health & Social Care courses! With NHC, you can stay close to home and learn from experts who’ll help you go far in your career.