To mark the final day of Colleges Week 2025, we’re taking the time to discuss the importance of the NHS and how we can support it. Andrew Haydon, former Access to HE: Nursing student from Reading College and University Centre, who now works for the NHS, shared his thoughts.
The NHS is an indispensable organisation with an amazing team. The staff are the backbone of the NHS, and each employee plays an important role in the journey of the patient. Colleges Week gives us a great opportunity to explore ways we can ensure the NHS has a sustainable future.
I am one of the 374,000 nurses employed by the NHS, but how do we grow this number, support existing employees and improve staff retention? It can be easy to dismiss our impact and think that only systemic change would encourage people to pursue a career in healthcare. However, there are things that we as individuals, the community and education providers such as Activate Learning can do to support and maintain the future of the NHS.
The importance of personal and professional development
Local colleges play a pivotal role, providing the education and training to meet skills needs in the healthcare sector. Activate Learning recognises that there isn’t one route that fits all; each learner has a unique learning style that needs to be accommodated.
Activate Learning offers a range of courses at all levels to give everyone an opportunity to reach their goal, and new developments in the curriculum and course offering reflect the increasing demand for healthcare professionals. Training up current NHS workers can also improve their confidence and benefit the NHS in the long term by investing in employees’ professional development, in turn increasing staff retention.
Completing the Access to HE: Nursing course at Reading College and University Centre gave me the confidence to continue to degree level and achieve something that I never thought was possible. Education and the right support are key to this transition and can be a driving force in encouraging students into careers within the NHS
What can we do?
The Royal Berkshire Hospital, where I work, is the biggest employer in that locality, and I am one of many former Activate Learning students who have gone on to work for the NHS.
There are some incredible journeys that people have taken to get to where they are in the healthcare sector, and it is important to share these stories to inspire others. I only became a nurse because my remarkable wife was diagnosed with cancer, which tore our world to pieces. However, out of these dire circumstances, my desire to help others in similar situations by pursuing a career as a nurse was born.
If you had told 17-year-old me that in 25 years’ time I would be working as a Palliative Care Clinical Nurse Specialist, I would have laughed at you. It is important to help people recognise their potential to pursue a career path they may not have thought possible, which is what Activate Learning did for me.
I am a proud nurse working for the NHS and feel privileged to work with such an incredible workforce with a wealth of knowledge from a range of backgrounds and experiences. If I can inspire one person to become a healthcare professional, that would make me immensely proud. If everyone who works for the NHS could inspire one young person, we would have a sustainable workforce for the future.
If you’ve been inspired by Andrew’s story, you can explore our range of courses that can lead to a career in healthcare, including:
- Health and Social Care Level 1, 2 and 3
- T Level in Health
- Access to HE Diploma (Health Professions)
- Access to HE Diploma (Midwifery)
- Access to HE Diploma (Nursing Professions)
- Access to HE Diploma (Paramedic Science)
- Higher Development Award for Health and Social Care Staff
Visit our college webpages to find out more about the courses available to you. You can also read more about Andrew and other alumni success stories on our designated alumni webpage.