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Carol’s Story: Tackling the Digital Skills Gap in Healthcare

Meet Carol Rossell, a member of the FastFutures Learner Alumni who now works as a Service Improvement Manager at Barts Health NHS Trust.

We recently caught up with Carol at our Employer Dinner at BT Tower, as she spoke to guests from our Employer Network. During our discussion, Carol spoke of how the FastFutures programme has benefitted her career in the Public Health sector – read more below!

Tell us a bit about yourself, what were you doing before the FastFutures programme?

A­fter graduating in 2020 I had no idea what I wanted to do. I did a biology degree but quickly discovered that I didn’t want to pursue a career in this field. My mum and nan were both nurses, but I wanted to do something more business oriented and didn’t have a lot of people to turn to for guidance.

What attracted you to the FastFutures programme?

When I came across FastFutures, I saw a gateway into what else could be out there. I needed a bit of background in the UK market, as I personally studied in the US and I didn’t know a lot about how to apply for jobs. My mum and nan were both nurses, and my dad was a tree surgeon so I lacked a connection with somebody with experience in business which was the industry I wanted to break into.

What were the main benefits of the programme?

The FastFutures Digital Career Accelerator programme gave me the opportunity to learn a little bit about everything – finance, marketing, data and entrepreneurship which is something that really interests me.

Talk us through your journey after the Programme, how has it helped you?

A­fter completing the first bootcamp, I went on to complete the BT Group sponsored Data Bootcamp (loved it!) and got qualified in Microsoft­ Power BI which was really helpful for progressing onto my next step.

I got my first job in the NHS on the Digital, Data and Technology(DDaT) Scheme, as a Lead Analyst (Patient Access). I’m now moving on to work as a Service Improvement Manager where I’ll be using those data skills and also the finance and marketing background that I got from the first programme to bring to my next role.

Do you think the NHS, and the wider healthcare sector should be tackling the digital skills gap?

I think it’s really important that the NHS develop digital skills, especially for youth talent. Without investment in this skill set, we are sure to lag behind not only in developing and retaining young people but also in the pace and quality that initiatives can be delivered.

Working with programs such as FastFutures can be that stepping stone to harnessing the power of data and young talent.

Download Impact Story

Conner King

Posted March 22, 2023