"My name is James Devine, I’m a 23-year-old and from Eglinton.
“Before I started the Health and Social care course, I was training to be an electrician for 3 years but decided that this was no longer the route I wanted to take in terms of my career.
“I had initially stayed on for lower 6th form at Limavady Grammar, but decided that the academic route was not something I wanted, so I spent the remaining parts of my 6th form looking for an electrical installation apprenticeship.
“As an older pupil, I was unable to do A-levels again, but I was very fortunate in the fact that NWRC offered the course that I wanted.
“I studied Level 3 Health and Social Care, with the aim of taking this further into a university setting focused on mental health nursing. The course covered many different aspects of health and social wellbeing, care, and theory, ranging from psychological theories to anatomy and physiology, and understanding how certain disorders and bodily systems work. For example, one of our units focused on dementia, and I was able to apply this knowledge in one of my university placements in a dementia setting.
Unfortunately due to covid I never got the chance to partake in placements, however having just completed a placement on my current course, I can say that the knowledge we learned in Health and Social Care was easily transferable to this practice-based learning environment.
“I am studying Mental Health Nursing at Ulster University’s, Magee Campus, with the aim of becoming a qualified mental health nurse and taking this qualification with me abroad, as I plan to move away after completing my degree.
“I would recommend this course for anyone who is seeking a job in the health care sector. Even those who want to stay on at A level should consider taking health and social care as it is a great foundation for academic writing, and understanding how the health sector works and it prepares you for what you will learn at university. The staff were excellent and very friendly, and the team, consisting of Nicola, Judith, Claire, Leah, Eugenia, and Sarah was always there to help me when I needed them.
“Please do not be put off considering this course if you are an older student, the team is great and is very understanding of certain things that may get in the way and will work with you to ensure that you excel at your course.”
