Nelson and Colne College Sixth Form has developed a brand new course, Access to Health Science Professions (Nursing and Midwifery), in response to the needs and demands of the local community and healthcare market.

The College has a long-standing tradition of excellence in Access to Higher Education Diplomas. These courses offer qualifications which prepare people without traditional qualifications for study at university. This year, Nelson and Colne College Sixth Form has developed a brand new course for individuals wishing to enter into nursing and midwifery careers. The course, known amongst staff and students as simply Access to Nursing and Midwifery, started for the first time on the 16th September. The course runs for 30 weeks, and by the end of the course students will be prepared for the rigours of university study.

The College has created this course due to popular demand in the local area. Pendle is a hub for healthcare professionals; Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust has been named as one of the Health Service’s Top 100 Places to Work in Healthcare, an annual publication celebrating the UK’s elite public sector healthcare employers! Nursing and midwifery are two hugely challenging sectors to work in, and the College is dedicated to helping today’s aspiring students become the nurses and midwives of the future!

Ryan Cook, Head of Division for Sport, Public Services, Childcare and Health and Social Care, said, “Access to Nursing is one way in which the College is responding to the needs of our local community and the labour market. The course is a one year fast track programme, which allows students to gain a highly respected Level 3 qualification and move on to Higher Education study. The course, delivered by medical and teaching professionals, forms a part of the College’s commitment to offering a career curriculum designed to ensure students can enter the labour market in a professional capacity. It is exciting for us to be working with the nurses and midwives of the future!”