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Completed Programmes

Healthcare Pathway Pilot

NHS Scotland Academy, Skills Development Scotland (SDS) and health boards across NHS Scotland piloted a new pathway which provided high school students in S4, S5 and S6 with the opportunity to gain a formal qualification.

Once the qualification was completed, students received a Level 5 qualification worth 24 Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) credit points.

This allowed them to progress into a range of opportunities, including Healthcare Support Worker roles, modern apprenticeships and the explore further routes into the health and care workforce.

What is the Healthcare Pathway Pilot?

The Healthcare Pathway Pilot qualification developed the transferable skills of young people to allow them to progress into a career as a Healthcare Support Worker and a key part of the wider health and social care workforce.

Through a range of face-to-face and online learning, learners developed their transferable meta-skills, such as communication and problem solving, into skills that are beneficial and directly applicable to a career in health and social care.

The qualification included 3 challenge projects;

  • Spaces and Places: Exploring the relationship between the physical environment (e.g. hospital or care home) and how people are cared for.
  • Community and Wellbeing: Learning about how health and care supports the wider community.
  • Creativity: Look at the creative solutions to a health/care challenges and understand the importance of creativity skills in the workforce.

What is a Healthcare Support Worker?

Healthcare Support Workers are an essential part of any multidisciplinary team, providing support to nurses, therapists, midwives, and other Health and Care professionals to deliver high quality person-centred care.

Those in S4, S5 and S6 located in selected schools across NHS Highland, NHS Dumfries and Galloway, NHS Tayside, NHS Grampian and the Clydebank area took part in the pilot. This included:

  • Highland: Culloden High, Golspie High, Wick High, Farr High
  • Tayside: Bertha Park School 
  • Clydebank: St Peter The Apostle High, Clydebank High

You can also find out more about NHS Careers at www.careers.nhs.scot and by following @NHSScotCareers on Twitter.

For more information contact nhsscotlandacademy@nhs.scot

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