24/03/2022 | Uncategorised

Joining forces to help young people into a fulfilling NHS career

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT) and Suffolk New College have joined forces to make it easier for students to take the first steps into a fulfilling healthcare career.

The partnership will see ESNEFT and Suffolk New College pool their expertise and resources to train the next generation of NHS staff before supporting them to move from education into work.

As part of the collaboration, ESNEFT will offer advice on the curriculum taught to students on Health and Social Care BTEC courses to ensure it includes all the elements they need when they begin looking for jobs, such as skills in areas such as dementia care.

The Trust will also advise the college on the equipment it will need to help students develop their practical skills, as well as offering work placements every year to give students an insight into what to expect from a career in the NHS. The placements will begin this autumn and will see 60 young people given the chance to visit ESNEFT.

ESNEFT is also looking to strengthen its apprenticeships, as well as developing a career start programme that will provide students with a mentor, a six-week work placement, masterclasses in its simulation suites and the guarantee of a job interview.

Kate Read, Director of People and Organisational Development with ESNEFT, said: “We are delighted to have joined forces with Suffolk New College to promote the wide variety of careers available in healthcare.

“This exciting collaboration will give us the chance to find innovative ways to work together to upskill the next generation of NHS staff so that we can continue to provide the best possible care to our patients and local communities.

“It will also offer an alternative for those who do not wish to take A-levels and a degree by giving them the opportunity to complete apprenticeships once they have joined ESNEFT so that they can progress to roles such as healthcare assistant, nursing associate or nurse.

“We believe that this partnership will provide us with a pipeline of motivated young people who want to come and work for us who will go on and enjoy a long and fulfilling career at our Trust.”

Principal of Suffolk New College, Viv Gillespie, said: “It’s crucial that we work with local employers to give our learners exceptional experiences that will help them get the skills they need to move on and secure their dream jobs.

“This powerful partnership is particularly timely as we are opening a brand new Health Science Campus in Ipswich later in the year that will help train the next generation of NHS workers for this region and beyond.

“Therefore we are delighted to be working with ESNEFT – and we thank them very much for giving so many fantastic opportunities to our learners of today and tomorrow – as a result of this collaboration.”

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