Navan student wins Bluebird Care Scholarship

A Nursing student from Navan is the beneficiary of the newly created Bluebird Care Dunboyne College 2020/2021 scholarship.

Pamela Ryan from Navan, who is currently studying for a QQI Level 5 award in Dunboyne College of Further Education, is the first recipient of the Bluebird Care scholarship. She will have her course fees covered under the scholarship and will be supported with her coursework by the company.

The initiative to sponsor a student came from Gavin Kane, Director of Bluebird Care. “I heard about the scholarship programme in Dunboyne and so I approached the college offering a scholarship in the Healthcare sector. It ties in with our commitment to continuous upskilling and training. We invest in our own staff development, conscious that quality training is at the core of our service delivery to clients. This scholarship will support students in their healthcare studies, an area in which there is a growing demand for qualified staff.”

Gavin was impressed with Pamela’s commitment. “Pamela is a determined and confident student who was very clear from the very beginning of her course that she wanted to enter the nursing sector. Her scholarship is well deserved and recognises her work and the effort she has put into her course to date and Bluebird Care are delighted to support her through the scholarship.” The company is also supporting Pamela with her coursework. “Our support is not only financial as our Clinical Nurse Manager is also available to support Pamela with her course work.”

The Bluebird Care Director hopes to expand the relationship with Dunboyne College. “We invest in our own staff training and development and we are talking to Dunboyne College about opportunities for our staff to complete courses on a part-time basis under the Skills to Advance funding.”

Thanking Gavin and his team for the opportunity Pamela Ryan acknowledged that the scholarship will enable her to fulfil a lifetime dream. “It’s incredible. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime and will really open doors for me to complete my studies.”

Pamela decided to return to college when Covid-19 struck. She always wanted to work in the healthcare sector and says that she decided to use the time to retrain. “I applied during the lockdown and was delighted to be offered a place as there was high demand. I remember when they told us about the scholarship. I immediately thought I had to apply for this right away. The scholarship will give me people to talk to as mentors and networks that will help me find out where I want to be in the future and help me get there.”

Pamela is full of praise for her teachers at Dunboyne College. “The teachers really made sure we understood what we were doing. They have worked in the healthcare area and know what is required to succeed. They are very knowledgeable and are able to share a lot of their experience with us. I am the type to always ask questions and they provide information and guidance for the coursework we have to do.”

Denis Lenard, Principal, Dunboyne College, also thanked Bluebird Care. “After the difficult year that 2020 was for the healthcare sector, we are particularly delighted with their support. This practical help in the form of the scholarship and support for coursework links our students with the world of work which is a core focus for the further education and training sector.”

About Dunboyne College

Dunboyne College of Further Education offers over 50 courses accredited by QQI at levels 5 and 6. Courses include Healthcare, Nursing & Midwifery, Business and Accountancy, Computers and Information Technology, Pre-University Law and Teaching, Journalism and Digital Marketing, Film Production and Music Performance, Science and Agricultural Science. The college also offers industry standard qualifications in Beauty Therapy (ITEC) and Senior and Junior Trade awards in Hairdressing. Students on the Horsemanship and Equine course can also study for their Green Cert.