The health and social care secretary has announced £20 million in funding to prepare more young people for an entry-level job or apprenticeship in the NHS.
The funding is intended to support 10,000 young people from all backgrounds to get a career in the NHS, and will be matched by £7 million from the Prince’s Trust.
It will also be delivered by The Prince’s Trust and supported by Health Education England, who have already worked together to run 250 pre-employment programmes, helping over 1,000 young people find work in healthcare across the country.
The NHS has announced that the three-year pre-employment programme will begin later this year and will involve up to 150 NHS trusts in England, helping give participants basic skills and experience of working in the NHS whilst focusing on helping those who otherwise may not have the opportunity to gain this experience to overcome barriers and enter sustainable employment.
Nick Stace, UK chief executive, The Prince’s Trust said that each year the organisation “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.”
He continued, “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.”
The programme will provide job application support, NHS truss work placements and courses in basic healthcare, literacy and numeracy skills.
