Hollyoaks star joins Rochdale students

Hollyoaks star joins Rochdale students to celebrate the Diploma in Society, Health and Development.

Today, Hollyoaks star Anthony Quinlan (who plays Gilly in the soap) joined students from Rochdale at Bolton's Reebok Stadium, to celebrate the successes of the Diploma in Society, Health and Development.

The event, hosted by Skills for Health and NHS Academy North West saw Anthony join over 260 students from the region who took part in a range of activities and workshops with professionals and employers from related sectors.

All the Rochdale students who attended are currently studying a Diploma in Society, Health and Development. The Diploma is a qualification that combines academic and practical learning. It has been developed by employers, schools, colleges and universities, and provides students with a route into further or higher education or straight into the world of work.

There are three levels of Diploma – Foundation, Higher and Advanced – that young people can study at different stages of their education. A Foundation Diploma is worth five GCSEs, a Higher Diploma is worth seven GCSEs and an Advanced Diploma is worth three and a half A levels.

As part of the day, the students watched a performance then took part in a workshop to establish possible solutions to the problems posed in the drama. The drama was based on an exciting 'Casualty' scenario, to engage the young people in to the activity. Anthony presented prizes to the students with the best ideas.

For more information about the Diploma in Rochdale visit www.direct.gov.uk/diplomas and for more information on the Diploma in Society, Health and Development visit www.skillsforhealth.org.uk/diploma