Publish date: 25 April 2022
Tameside College’s Health and Social Care Cadet scheme has gone from strength to strength since it launched in the middle of a global pandemic in 2020. With the support of an enterprising partnership between the college, local authority and local health trusts, the project has produced two successful cohorts of students who are taking the first steps in their health careers.
The Health and Social Care Cadet programme enrolled its first group in September 2020 to improve access to a number of careers in the sector. Students study two days a week in college as well as working on a placement for one day a week. The scheme has widened access to a diverse range of careers in Tameside Hospital, general practices, care settings and within the community. The advanced qualification prepares students for further study at degree level, as their specialist careers develop.
The placement opportunities have been supported by a unique partnership of organisations that include: Tameside & Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust (T&GICFT) and Tameside Council (TMBC), Tameside and Glossop CCG (T&G CCG) and Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust (PCT).
Jackie Moores, Tameside College Principal, said: “This has been a fantastic experience for our students. The opportunities of working with specialists range from: physiotherapy to re-enablement and integrated care. It has given the students a great insight into potential careers and where their skills, talents and interests lie.”
Karen James, Chief Executive at Tameside & Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are passionate about investing in the next generation within our local community and creating more partnership opportunities between the Trust and Tameside College. The added experience and knowledge gained by the cadets will be invaluable when applying for their first role in their chosen career and we hope that if they like what they see, they might decide to choose a profession within the NHS.”
