 Pupils at Kirkwall Grammar School were given an insight into a career as a Paramedic earlier this week, thanks to staff from the Scottish Ambulance Service in Orkney.
Pippa, Clinical Team Leader, and newly qualified Paramedic, Catherine, visited the school and spoke to pupils who are interested in a career as a paramedic, giving them information about the routes into the role, advice about the university application and interview process, and talking about their day-to-day duties as paramedics.  Pupils at Kirkwall Grammar School have been given an insight into medical careers by local GPs, to encourage them to consider applying to Medical School in the future.
Targeted to pupils in S3, 4 and 5 who are taking two or more sciences, the Medical Insight Session was offered by NHS Orkney and run by Doctors Ingrid Seatter, Anne Nicolson and Angus Lyon from the Heilendi Medical Practice. They were joined by Merin Manoq, a fifth-year medical student.  In our final Sector Spotlight post on Administration, we speak to Kendall Pyke, Organisational Development & Improvement Adviser at NHS Orkney. We’ve been very grateful to hear so much from NHS Orkney about their admin roles – it really is a huge part of running a hospital smoothly!
Keep an eye on our pages this coming Monday to find out what our next sector will be.  In the final day of our Sector Spotlight on Administration, we hear from the last of our respondents from NHS Orkney, the first of whom is Ellie Walker, Recruitment Adviser.
The roles we've highlighted this week are far from the only administrative roles within the health service - there are still yet more we haven't covered!  In day 3 of our Sector Spotlight on Administration, we hear from Elise Doull, a Medical Records Officer at NHS Orkney. This is just one more administrative job role of many within the health service, with more to come later in the week.
 In our second Sector Spotlight on Administration, we hear from Kelly Reid, Clinical Admin Supervisor at NHS Orkney. This is just one more job role of many, as a strong administrative team is integral to the day-to-day running of the health service, and we'll be featuring more of them as the week goes on!
 Beginning our Sector Spotlight on Administration with a bang, we hear from two different people who hold administrative positions with NHS Orkney, the first of whom is Glynis Briggs, a Surgical PA. The health service requires a staggering amount of administration and this is just one job role of many, with more to be featured later today as well as throughout the week.
 As part of the Midwifery Insight Programme, pupils were given a tour of the Maternity Unit at The Balfour. A partnership initiative between NHS Orkney and Developing the Young Workforce Orkney has enabled local school pupils to gain an insight into the career of a Midwife.
Throughout the year, senior pupils from Stromness Academy and Kirkwall Grammar School have been given the opportunity to participate in a Midwifery Insight Programme which has given them the chance to learn more about the role of a Midwife and gain insight into early childhood development.  As part of their visit to the Maternity Unit, pupils were given an opportunity to see a birthing suite, Senior pupils from Stromness Academy and Kirkwall Grammar School who are interested in a career in Midwifery were recently given the opportunity to visit the Maternity Department at The Balfour.
While Midwifery is a popular career choice for young people, it is not easy for school pupils to undertake work experience to gain an insight into the career. Following discussions with DYW Orkney, NHS Orkney developed a programme of activity to help pupils gain valuable experience and knowledge which will be a huge help when applying for College, University or future employment.  A series of employability inputs have started at Kirkwall Grammar School this year to support pupils to identify a positive post-school destination.
The sessions have been developed by Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) Orkney and are supported by local employers and local education and training providers. The sessions will help pupils with their skills development, raise awareness of the variety of jobs available in Orkney and the different pathways into them and support them to develop their employability skills.  Pupils interested in a career in construction were given a tour of Orkney Builder's site on Cairston Road.
Third year pupils at Stromness Academy have recently enjoyed a week of activities during the school’s annual Careers Week.
A part of the school calendar since 2019, Careers Week was developed to support pupils in S3, who will shortly be making their subject choices for their fourth year, which can influence where they will end up after school.  In the second of their interviews celebrating Scottish Apprenticeships Week, BBC Radio Orkney have spoken to two members of staff from NHS Orkney about their Modern Apprenticeships.
NHS Orkney offer two different types of Modern Apprenticeships, the first is clinical and covers areas such as wards, out patients and day surgery, while the non-clinical apprenticeship focuses on careers in administration, estates, finance and IT.  We hosted a Lunch and Learn event earlier this week to help local employers learn how they can engage with their future workforce more easily.
Over 20 employers attended our event to hear how Founders4Schools and Marketplace can help them engage with school pupils, in a way that fits in with their business needs.  Following a successful event last year, NHS Orkney in partnership with Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) Orkney, held a ‘Day in the Life’ event at The Balfour on Friday 15 November. These events help young people learn more about the range of health and social care careers that are available with NHS Orkney.
The ‘Day in the Life’ event was open to interested pupils from S3-S6 at secondary schools throughout Orkney.  As part of our Sector Spotlight on NHS Orkney, we spoke to Rhiannon Phillips who is a Primary Care Facilitator. After completing an HNC in Business Management, she struggled to get a job due to lack of experience, however working for the Admin Bank at NHS Orkney led to a full-time role and opportunities to develop herself further through work-based learning.
 As part of our Sector Spotlight on NHS Orkney, we spoke to Sarah Rendall, Facilities Support Officer. Sarah started her NHS career with a Relief position on the Switchboard, this lead to a chance to take on an Admin role before she moved into Facilities and her current role.
 As part of our Sector Spotlight on NHS Orkney, we have spoken to Karen Spence, Public Health Administration Manager. Karen joined NHS Orkney in 2010 in a role in the Switchboard. She has undertake various roles in the organisation, developing her skills and undertaking additional qualifications. She is currently studying for a Graduate Apprenticeship in Business Management.
 As part of our Sector Spotlight on NHS Orkney, we have spoken to Martha Gill, who is a Community Island Nurse. Originally from Australia, Martha undertook her BA Nursing in Glasgow before returning to Australia where she undertook a variety of roles within home care and Primary Care, which is community based, while also undertaking a post-graduate qualification in Nursing Practice. She then moved to Orkney to undertake her current role.
 As part of our Sector Spotlight on NHS Orkney, we have spoken to Angus Rafferty who is a Recruitment Officer. After completing a degree in Applied Geology, Angus moved to Orkney and began working with NHS Orkney as an Administration Assistant. He then completed a Modern Apprenticeship through Orkney College UHI, before moving into his current role.
 As part of our Sector Spotlight on NHS Orkney, we spoke to Neva Spence, Dental Nurse. Neva became a Trainee Dental Nurse with a local practice when she returned to work after having her family. Once qualified, she applied for a post with the NHS and now works with the Oral Surgeons.
 As part of our Sector Spotlight on NHS Orkney, we have spoken to Mandy Ward, who is the Facilities Manager at Balfour Hospital. Mandy began her career in Hospitality before working as an office temp, which led her to NHS Orkney. She got a permanent role in the Finance Department, before moving into Estates where she was given the chance to develop her role and gain some work-based qualifications.
 As part of our Sector Spotlight on NHS Orkney, we have spoken to Amanda Manson, who is a Specialist Cardiac Nurse. Amanda knew she wanted to be a Nurse when she left school. After training in Orkney and Aberdeen, plus 15 years working in hospitals south, she returned home to work for NHS Orkney.
 Our Sector Spotlight campaign has returned for the summer holidays. Following the opening of the new Balfour Hospital, we will be focusing on the range of clinical and non-clinical careers available within NHS Orkney and - due to the number of jobs within the NHS - we will be shining a spotlight on this sector for the next two weeks.
For our first Sector Spotlight on NHS Orkney, we have spoken to Lizzie Morris, Medical Records Officer. Lizzie first started with NHS Orkney on a work placement, which helped her secure a permanent job with the organisation. She has undertaken different roles in the organisation and has completed two Modern Apprenticeships while employed with NHS Orkney. |
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