Bath Chamber of Commerce has donated £2,500 to help kit out a new Community Care Room at Bath College, which will allow students to experience realistic conditions as they study to become the much needed care and health staff of the future.
President Alistair Colston was delighted to see how work is going on in the new facility and he couldn’t resist trying out the stair lift, closely supervised by Chief Operating Officer, Rich Harris and Head of Department, Laura Martin.
“A well cared for community is the vital bedrock for a successful economy, so we are pleased to be able to help the College provide the very best facilities for its students. They will have a crucial role to play in supporting those who need additional help, which is especially important in enabling elderly people to retain a degree of independence and continue to live in their own homes,” said Mr Colston.
The Chamber grant will be used to pay for items to make the Care Room as close to a normal house as possible, with kitchen, bathroom, lounge and bedroom areas for students to hone their skills. It’s such an unusual facility that local employers have already been approaching the College to ask to use it to train their own staff.
Rich Harris said the Care Room was a great example of how the College responds to skills needs and he was grateful to the Chamber for their help in its creation: “There is a serious shortage of staff in this sector so we are playing our part to address that by providing the best possible training for our students. And we are going further, by establishing strong links with other anchor institutions, such as the RUH.”
Laura Martin added: "We are excited about the experiences that our young people will encounter as a result of the space, and also the chance to collaborate closely with local employers to create unique training opportunities that will strengthen the capabilities of the workforce and ensure high standards of care for our community. The health and care sector is constantly evolving, and it is critical to equip future professionals with industry-specific skills to meet the demands of modern healthcare.”
If you’d like to find out more about the Bath Chamber of Commerce or the Initiative in B&NES please contact us on 01225 460 655 or info@bathchamber.co.uk.
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