Locate a Locum today (September 19) announced its “new pharmacy student scholarship scheme, offering five final-year MPharm degree students £1,000 each this year to support their education”.
A company spokesperson told C+D that “there are no rules around what [the grant] can be spent on”.
“However, we've met with pharmacy students who have advised that the funding would be beneficial towards travel expenses to work placements, textbooks and course materials and mental health support,” they added.
Read more: Day Lewis rolls out Locate a Locum booking platform across group
“The scheme is open now and eligible applicants are urged to apply before the deadline on October 3 to secure the funds for the 2024/25 academic year,” Locate a Locum said.
Eligible students “must be currently enrolled in a GPhC-accredited UK pharmacy school,” it added.
Applicants must also “demonstrate academic excellence and commitment to their future pharmacy careers,” it said.
“Brand ambassadors”
In addition to the financial support, the five successful MPharm students “will gain access to continuing professional development (CPD) accredited learning,” Locate a Locum said.
They will also “have the chance to connect with industry leaders and become brand ambassadors to promote best practice to others,” it added.
A Locate a Locum spokesperson told C+D that the company hopes “that winning students will participate in efforts to promote the scholarship and its benefits to other pharmacy students in the future”.
Read more: At a glance: How do locum rates vary across Great Britain?
They explained that this would be through “participating in our social media and also by joining us to attend trade shows or university career fairs too if available”.
They stressed that “there is no expectation for students to become locums after graduation”.
“This funding is to support students during their studies and gives Locate a Locum a unique chance to give back to the industry by supporting the next wave of pharmacists in their career journeys,” they said.
“Thrilled”
Pharmacist and Locate a Locum’s founder and chief executive Jonathon Clarke added that the company is “thrilled to launch [its] first ever scholarship programme for aspiring future-focused professional pharmacists”.
He said that the “scholarship scheme will help in building a pathway for some of the sector’s most ambitious students to advance their studies with ease, expand their connections and experiences and ensure they excel”.
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Meanwhile, the company last year struck a deal with Day Lewis Pharmacy to roll out its locum-booking system across the multiple’s branches.
And in February, data collected by C+D’s annual Salary Survey revealed that the average hourly rate for locums across Great Britain was £31.67 in 2023 – down from £33.30 the previous year.
