Northern Regional College recently welcomed young people from Scouts NI for an engaging series of taster sessions at its Causeway Campus in Coleraine. The new collaboration, which took place on Wednesday, 26th March, provided Scouts NI aged 10-18 with the opportunity to experience a variety of subject areas, offering valuable insights into potential career paths and skill development.

The interactive sessions covered a wide range of disciplines, including Construction, Health & Social Care, Hair & Beauty, Creative Arts (media and performing arts), Sport, Childcare, Applied Science and Business & Computing.

Speaking about the event, Helen Hampsey, Assistant Curriculum Director at Northern Regional College said, “We are delighted to have collaborated with Scouts NI to deliver these taster sessions. This partnership allows us to showcase our diverse course offerings while inspiring young people to consider future education and career pathways.”

Adam Meikle, Regional Lead Volunteer for West, added, “For Scouts NI, this event was an invaluable experience, allowing them to develop essential skills for life, gain exposure to potential career opportunities, and even work towards accredited qualifications. The feedback from participants has been overwhelmingly positive, with many highlighting how engaging and practical the sessions were, reinforcing the value of real-world learning experiences.”

This is the first initiative between Northern Regional College and the local Scouting community.   Building on the success of this initial event, there are plans to expand the partnership further. Future taster sessions will be introduced at additional Northern Regional College campuses, with discussions already underway to explore opportunities for short-term accredited courses and leadership development programmes.

This collaboration marks a significant step in fostering strong connections between education providers and youth organisations, ensuring that young people across Northern Ireland have access to the skills, knowledge and opportunities they need to thrive.

To find out more about courses at Northern Regional College, visit www.nrc.ac.uk