Fourteen local young people are now qualified to step up when it matters most, after completing a free first aid course at the Mechanics Institute in Harden on Monday 13 July.

Delivered by experienced trainers Ryan and Alison from Get First Aid (www.getfirstaid.net.au), the course took participants through the nationally recognised Provide First Aid qualification (HLTAID011), covering CPR, managing bleeding, burns and fractures, responding to allergic reactions and what to do in those critical first minutes before help arrives. In a rural community, where an ambulance can be some time away, those minutes matter, and there are now fourteen more people in our district ready to use them well.

The course is the latest in a packed program of free school holiday activities for young people run through the Hilltops Youth Action Group (HYAG) and HRDC, following hot on the heels of the fully booked barista course held the week before.

Trainer Ryan said the value of first aid skills in country communities could not be overstated.

"Recent incidents across regional NSW have reminded us all how important it is to have people in the community who know what to do in an emergency," he said.

"In the country, the first responder is often whoever happens to be standing closest, and giving young people these skills means they can act with confidence rather than standing by feeling helpless."

Ryan added that the course offered participants more than a certificate.

"For a lot of young people, a day like this is their first taste of what a career in health could look like. Get First Aid’s trainers all work in the health and emergency sectors, and we love showing young people that paramedicine, nursing and emergency care are real, achievable career paths, whether you grow up in the city or the bush," he said.

The course was made possible through the generous sponsorship of Community Bank Harden-Murrumburrah, which continues to back local young people through the HYAG school holiday program.

Branch Manager Saurabh Mahajan congratulated all participants on gaining their qualification.

"First aid is one of those skills we hope our young people never have to use, but one we’re very glad they now have. As a community bank, we’re proud to support programs that make our young people more skilled, more employable and more able to look after each other," Mr Mahajan said.

Community Bank Harden-Murrumburrah Chair Evelyn Shea added that very one of these young people now carries a skill that could one day save a life, and that is an extraordinary return on a community investment.

"We congratulate all participants and thank the Hilltops Youth Action Group for another wonderful initiative for our region," she said.

As always, the HYAG school holiday program is coordinated by Hilltops Council Youth Worker Georgia Thomaidis, whose energy and commitment keep opportunities like this coming for young people right across the region.

With a first aid certificate now sitting alongside barista skills on many young resumes in Harden-Murrumburrah, the July school holidays have delivered far more than just a break from the classroom, and our community is safer and stronger for it.