NHS Ayrshire & Arran welcomed 73 senior pupils from across Ayrshire for its #FutureWorkforce Work Experience Week, giving them valuable insight into the wide range of careers available across health and social care.
The week-long programme gave S5 and S6 pupils the opportunity to step inside NHS services, meet staff and gain first-hand experience of the diverse roles that contribute to delivering care and supporting communities across Ayrshire.
Following a welcome and induction session and the chance to hear from NHS colleagues, pupils spent three days within their chosen placement areas before coming together to recognise their achievements and receive certificates of completion.
Reflecting on their experience, two of the pupils said:
“I had a fantastic time on my placement. The staff completely made my experience. They made me feel comfortable, engaged, and welcome. They were able to answer all of my questions and were perfect examples of brilliant occupational therapists. I will definitely use all the skills I learned here in the future. I would love to be involved in a job like this in the future. I’ve learned so much and I can’t thank them enough!”
“I really enjoyed my experience and would highly recommend it to other students interested in health care. Everything was extremely well organised from start to finish. This week has encouraged me to follow my aspirations to study radiography and has shown me what a radiography career would look like. Thank you so much for this opportunity!”
With placement opportunities available across a wide range of services, pupils were able to learn more about careers including nursing and midwifery, allied health professions, healthcare science, dental services, administration, and support services.
NHS Ayrshire & Arran Chief Executive, Professor Gordon James said:
“It has been fantastic to see so many young people making the most of their work experience with us. The enthusiasm and curiosity they have shown throughout the week has been wonderful.
“The #FutureWorkforce Work Experience Week is part of NHS Ayrshire & Arran’s commitment to helping young people explore career opportunities and gain a better understanding of the many roles involved in delivering health and social care.
“We hope the experience has helped pupils discover the variety of career opportunities available across health and social care and inspired them to think about where their own skills and interests could take them in the future.
“A huge thank you must also go to all our colleagues and teams who supported placements and helped make the week such a success.”