A HEREFORDSHIRE college is joining forces with other colleges to help recruit staff for the NHS.

The work done by NHS and social care staff in the fight against Covid-19 has earned great praise – but also put services under tremendous strain.

Herefordshire, Ludlow, and North Shropshire College and colleges in surrounding areas are working together to ease the burden by launching a series of initiatives which are designed to help recruit and retain staff.

The joint bid was led by Telford College and includes Shrewsbury Colleges Group and SBC Training.

Over the next 18 months the colleges will launch an ambitious new skills-boosting project to provide valuable support for the local health and social care sector.

Strategic Development Fund cash has been secured to set up the Government-backed scheme across the Marches region.

The project will include a range of training programmes from entry level all the way up to degree-level.

It will begin with basic knowledge and skills for everyday situations, and covering areas such as digital literacy, safety and environmental regulations, good practice, infection prevention and control, and safeguarding issues.

The initiatives will be using cutting-edge technology to help train local people.

While at the same time helping to raise awareness of the wide range of career possibilities currently available in the health and social care sector.

Victoria Rankin, executive lead for people at Shropshire Telford and Wrekin ICS, said: "Everyone knows that the NHS is under significant pressure right now – we believe that this partnership project could make a real difference at a time when it is most needed.

"We want to be ambitious and use this pilot to test out the new ways of working and take the opportunity to invest in enhanced training which is designed to support NHS teams who are under considerable strain.

"We want to take advantage of technology-led learning, including virtual and augmented reality, fast-track more staff into the sector, and upskill others."

It is hoped that the programme will also help existing health and social care professionals to diversify or build on their existing skills.