Lynda Hastings, believes this remarkable journey stems from her time at the College and would encourage anyone who feels they are not quite ready for university to consider studying a Foundation Degree.
Lynda explains further, “My daughter enrolled on the Foundation Degree in Health & Social Care course in 2019 at Northern Regional College as she really wasn’t ready to embrace university at this point. This was the best decision she made as during her 2 years on the course she gained so much confidence in herself and her capabilities that truly opened her eyes to see her own potential and progress so far as she has today.
She continued, “The lecturing staff were really supportive and competent. They very quickly picked up that my daughter had a learning difficulty and ensured the relevant support was put in place to help her succeed in her studies. She really never has looked back - she completed an Honours Degree, something she never thought she would be capable of and now she is in her first year of a second Degree in Social Work. It’s amazing to see someone who assumed they had no opportunity of further or higher education to thrive like this.”
Lynda added that she would have no hesitation of recommending Foundation Degrees as a pathway to higher education and employment opportunities as they are a great stepping stone to allow students to develop their academic ability and confidence.
The Foundation Degree in Health and Social Care is available at our Ballymena campus. This is an innovative and contemporary course validated by Ulster University which aims to equip students with the knowledge, skills, experience, attitudes and values needed for employment in this sector.