BORDERS students recently joined the Train to Care' course in bid to improve skills across health and social care sectors.

The six-week-long Train to Care course was opened to Borders College students in partnership with NHS Borders, Scottish Borders Council (SBC) and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

The course, which was delivered by the Department of Enterprise and Business Innovation (DEBI) provided students with courses on first aid in the workplace, health and safety, Dementia awareness, nutrition and work placements.

Katharine Mathison, director of Enterprise & Business Innovation, commented: “Delighted to be part of the celebration of success for this group of students who have all worked incredibly hard to overcome challenges and make the most of this opportunity.

"Feedback from our partners – NHS, SBC and DWP – has been overwhelmingly positive.

"Congratulations everyone!”

Dougie Pringle from the DWP added: “It was a really good celebration of the course, and all the candidates were very positive about what they had learned.

"It was also good to see how much the providers had enjoyed having the candidates at their workplaces and the positive impact our candidates had on their services.

"Hopefully, most of them will be able to take up employment in the near future.”

The six weeks of short courses were funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and SBC's No One Left Behind Employability Funding Stream.

Students who joined the course received recognised certificates and benefited from a range of upskilling, confidence building, and guidance on how to prepare for interviews and work placements with organisations such as the NHS.

One student said: "I enjoyed getting the chance to learn about the NHS application and interview process.”

Another added: “Overall, I enjoyed the course; getting First Aid training and other qualifications was very helpful.

"The highlight of the course has been the work placement.

"Seeing how a day in this profession played out was very illuminating.”

Juliette Leckie from NHS Borders said: "On behalf of NHS Borders and the education team, we are proud to have had the opportunity to support and work alongside SBC, DWP and Borders College in supporting the individuals who attended the "Train to Care" programme.

"During the time the candidates spent at NHS Borders, they were given the opportunity to obtain various certificates & work experience, which will support future job applications, hopefully resulting in a future career path within the organisation.

"We would like to wish the graduates all the best in their future roles and hope to get to work alongside them in the future."

Other students said: “I found the course informative and enlightening.

"Being able to work on a placement with an environment I would apply to was my highlight.”

Another student added: “Really interesting and gained more knowledge for the future.

"The highlight was learning about Dementia.”