Part of the Etc.
Choosing to study Health and Social Care can open the door to a wide range of careers. Just ask these students from Stockton Riverside College.
They are celebrating securing university offers in three different fields and all feel confident that they have been given the skills they need to achieve.
“The fact that everyone is doing something different just goes to show the wide range of opportunities the course opens up to you,” said Victoria Thistlethwaite, 18, from Billingham.
For her the next move is a degree in primary education, while classmate Bo Darbyshire, also 18, and from Stockton, is off to study learning disability nursing.
“It’s not a career I knew about until I started doing my research,” said Bo. It was a work placement as a learning support assistant that helped her to realise that working in a more specialist field was the right route for her.
Jenna Lightowler, 17, from Stockton, had a similar experience. She explained that she originally wanted to become a midwife before a work placement left her certain she wanted to work as a nursery teacher.
Now off to study Early Childhood Studies at university she said: “During the course we have carried out five placements all in different settings.
“It has been really good because you get to see what is right for you, gain experience and also put into practice the lessons that you have learned.”
Pat Shaw, Stockton Riverside College’s Course Leader for Health and Social Care said: “Studying Health and Social Care (Level 3) enables students to study a variety of topic areas as well as giving them the opportunity to gain valuable placement experience.
“Many aim to go on to university to study adult nursing but in recent years we have seen students successfully move on to a wide range of subject areas including learning disabilities nursing, social work, psychology, midwifery and paramedic practice.”
They are celebrating securing university offers in three different fields and all feel confident that they have been given the skills they need to achieve.
“The fact that everyone is doing something different just goes to show the wide range of opportunities the course opens up to you,” said Victoria Thistlethwaite, 18, from Billingham.
For her the next move is a degree in primary education, while classmate Bo Darbyshire, also 18, and from Stockton, is off to study learning disability nursing.
“It’s not a career I knew about until I started doing my research,” said Bo. It was a work placement as a learning support assistant that helped her to realise that working in a more specialist field was the right route for her.
Jenna Lightowler, 17, from Stockton, had a similar experience. She explained that she originally wanted to become a midwife before a work placement left her certain she wanted to work as a nursery teacher.
Now off to study Early Childhood Studies at university she said: “During the course we have carried out five placements all in different settings.
“It has been really good because you get to see what is right for you, gain experience and also put into practice the lessons that you have learned.”
Pat Shaw, Stockton Riverside College’s Course Leader for Health and Social Care said: “Studying Health and Social Care (Level 3) enables students to study a variety of topic areas as well as giving them the opportunity to gain valuable placement experience.
“Many aim to go on to university to study adult nursing but in recent years we have seen students successfully move on to a wide range of subject areas including learning disabilities nursing, social work, psychology, midwifery and paramedic practice.”
