To celebrate Careers Week, which took place from 6-13 March, we welcomed students from local special educational needs schools and colleges to our hub at HSDC Alton. The students from Hollywater, Treloar and Samuel Cody met colleagues from Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust and learnt about careers opportunities at the UK’s largest employer.
The NHS offers more than 350 different career paths, and the purpose of the 350+ NHS Careers Programme is to help children and young people explore the huge range of options open to them. Our outreach team runs free sessions in schools and education settings, also providing expertise around T Level and apprenticeship routes into the NHS. Since September 2022, the 350+ NHS Careers Programme has interacted with more than 30,000 young people at careers fairs and wide-ranging outreach events in schools and colleges across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
Kat Millmore-Davies, Education Outreach Lead for the 350+ NHS Careers Programme, says: “Our hub gives the college’s T Level Healthcare students and visitors an in-depth introduction to some of the amazing careers they can have in the NHS. Students explore roles and tasks based on real-life scenarios, ultimately learning what a vital contribution these roles make to the patient experience. Today students met with colleagues whose roles are the backbone of the NHS – those from teams including Estates, Catering, Housekeeping and Porterage. Thank you to Assistant Principal Vocational Curriculum Ashley Grute and the team at HSDC Alton – we know the hub is going to spark a lot of imagination and help inspire the next generation about the career options open to them.”
Hilary Todd, Director or the 350+ NHS Careers of Wight Integrated Care Board, says: “The route from education to employment is so important for young people. The work HSDC Alton is doing with the 350+ NHS Careers Programme Is a fantastic example highlighting this vital time, showing young people the vast array of opportunities for a rewarding career in the NHS.”
