Help maximise their potential
Could you help others decide if occupational therapy is the career for them ? This issue , we hear from Amanda White and Hayley Vaughan , who have both been involved in inspiring the next generation of occupational therapists for a number of years now
Last November ’ s Occupational Therapy Week may be feeling
like a distant memory now , but # ChooseOT , RCOT ’ s careers campaign to inspire future occupational therapists , is still thriving .
We have a dedicated website for school students , which provides information about becoming an occupational therapist (
https :// chooseot . co . uk ), and an ongoing call to occupational therapists to inspire school students throughout the school year by giving a virtual careers talk .
In the run up to Occupational Therapy Week and beyond , lots of you started contacting local schools and will be holding virtual careers talks for students over the coming months . In this issue , we hear from more members who got actively involved last year .
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Occupational therapy has the potential to open opportunities you don ’ t even know exist yet Amanda White has been inspiring the next generation She adds : ‘ With the pandemic limiting the school ’ s of occupational therapists since she was a student careers events , I contacted the teacher again and herself . offered my services to deliver an online event in line with
‘ I am fortunate to have built up a relationship with the # chooseOT campaign . She gratefully accepted and my local secondary school ’ s sixth form and careers I delivered two virtual classroom sessions .’ adviser ,’ she explains . ‘ This started some years ago , Following Amanda ’ s 2020 talk , another student when I was a student and was invited to a careers expressed an interest in pursuing occupational therapy event .’ as a career , demonstrating the influence that can be She has maintained this relationship by returning had by conducting these talks . to the school ’ s annual events for the last seven Amanda ’ s own journey to becoming an years . occupational therapist started when she was
‘ In 2019 , during the allied health professions ’ interviewed for an occupational therapy assistant post incentive to promote our roles , I contacted the within a community learning disabilities team in 2000 . school and offered to speak to students studying ‘ I didn ’ t know what occupational therapy was ,’ she health and social care . The classroom sessions were exclaims , ‘ but I knew that I liked helping people to live very successful – they enjoyed the practical problem life to its fullest and promote independence with those solving session I included and the session inspired a I supported . student to go on to study occupational therapy ,’ she ‘ At the interview I asked what occupational therapy says proudly . was and could they send me on any training courses ?
16 OTnews January 2021