Marjon student in campaign to improve healthcare recruitment

Released: 23.08.18

Plymouth Marjon University student Max Elswood has been chosen as an ambassador for Health Education England’s latest recruitment drive.

Max studies Speech and Language Therapy at Marjon and will now be working as a representative to encourage more young people to consider a career in the health service.

The 22-year-old is one of a number of allied health professionals and students chosen to promote careers in healthcare and Max is happy to play a role in helping young people think more about the opportunities available in the industry.

Max told us: “I’m pleased to be involved with trying to get more people to consider a career in healthcare.

“We’re really trying to push the campaign now on social media and online as clearing season starts and some people are thinking more seriously about what they want to do in life. We just want anyone thinking of going to university through clearing to have a look at some of the healthcare courses.”

Max’s own involvement in the promotion of the campaign will focus mainly on social media and trying to engage media coverage of some of the positive stories around getting a career in the healthcare profession. In particular, Max wants to try and boost the numbers of men looking at a career in the allied health professions.

“One of the reasons I wanted to get involved in this is that men in particular are really under-represented in allied health professions, particularly in Occupational Therapy and Speech and Language Therapy. So if I can help a few more men think about this career path then that would be really positive,” said Max.

In the next module of his studies, Max intends to produce a dissertation that focuses on creating a new treatment plan for people suffering with speech difficulties following a stroke. It’s this kind of rewarding and creative work that Max wants more people to recognise.

Max continued: “Speech and Language therapy really interests me because it marries my love of science with the ability to be creative.

“Particularly when working with children, you need a quick-thinking and creative mind to produce engaging resources and games that target a child’s difficulties. Because the profession has so much scope for research in to new therapies, the course at Marjon really needs new focussed and motivated students to lead the way for years to come.

“Throughout my studies I’ve got to meet new people, create new resources and have genuine connections with people in a way you wouldn’t get while sitting in an office.

The Speech and Language Therapy degree at Marjon offers work placements in every year, something Max is well-versed in as he enters the fourth year of his studies at the university.

“There have been placements every year of my time studying at Marjon. They do really prepare you for going in to the workplace well. That has been really helpful in solidifying which area I wanted to get in to and do.

“Not only will my degree allow me to work anywhere, it will also give me the opportunity to really make a difference to people’s lives whilst still expressing my creativity.”

Find out more about the Speech and Language Therapy degree here.

We still have places available to start in 2018. Find out more here.