A three-year pre-employment programme has been announced by the Health and Social Care Secretary to support 10,000 young people from all backgrounds and help them get careers in the NHS.
The initiative, worth over £20 million, will be matched by a further £7 million from the Prince’s Trust.
The programme will launch later in 2019 and involve up to 150 NHS trusts in England, with participants gaining basic skills and experience in the NHS, along with helping those who otherwise may not have the opportunity to gain this experience to overcome barriers and enter sustainable employment, providing support with job applications, NHS trust work placements and offering courses in bas healthcare, literacy and numeracy skills.
5,000 young people are predicted to get into the NHS through entry-level positions and 5,000 by joining through apprenticeships. Roles will include digital and business administration, healthcare assistant, facilities, catering and portering.
The programme will be delivered by The Prince’s Trust and supported by Health Education England (HEE).
HEE has already worked in partnership with The Prince’s Trust to run 250 pre-employment programmes, helping over 1,000 young people find work in healthcare across the country.
“Each year, The Prince’s Trust supports thousands of young people across the country to develop the confidence and skills they need to get a job – with our ‘Get into Healthcare’ programme we help young people to take their first step into employment with the NHS,” said Nick Stace, UK chief executive, The Prince’s Trust.
“We are delighted that through this enhanced partnership we will give thousands more young people across the country exciting job opportunities. Placing young people into frontline roles at the heart of our National Health Service will empower them to realise their potential, kick start their careers and make a valuable contribution to our society.
“We believe that when young people succeed, our country succeeds and this is a great example of what that can mean in reality.”
Image by Gerald Oswald from Pixabay
