The first group of students to complete a nursing diploma designed to enable mature learners to enter into a degree have been celebrated at an awards ceremony.

The pilot set of four students were presented with their certificates for the ‘Access to Higher Education Nursing Diploma’ by Teresa Cope, the chief exeutive of Manx Care.

Those who completed the diploma were Charlotte Clancey, Robert Moore, Aeron Sanderson and Leia Swindlehurst.

As part of the course the learners were taught on a variety of specialist subjects that will help prepare them to take on a nursing degree.

Isle Learn also collaborated with Manx Care for the course as attendees benefited from the teaching of nurse lecturers who delivered bespoke nursing units.

Following the pilot group, Isle Learn says there is considerable interest in the diploma with 14 set to commence study this month.

They said: ‘This will help to ensure that more local people are in a position to apply for the island-based Nurse Training Degree programme in future years.’

The course was ‘developed to enable mature learners who have been out of education to gain the necessary qualifications, academic skills, knowledge and UCAS points’ to continue study at degree level.

Two of the students have been offered places on the nurse training degree programme for 2022, whilst the other two students will take a year out before applying for the programme next year.