BACKING YOUNG PEOPLE

This initiative brings together business, the public sector and the voluntary sector to maximise the potential of young people. It asks organisations to commit to one or more of the following: offer volunteer places, provide work experience opportunities, offer internships to 18 year olds and non graduates, offer graduate internships, supply apprenticeship opportunities, access the Future Jobs Fund and engage in a Local Employment Partnership. See further: Backing Young Britain.

SUPPLY AND DEMAND

The increasing gap between supply of future health workers from schools and demand for health services from an ageing population is wider in the East of England than elsewhere. Employers will have to work harder to persuade young people to choose health as a career. See detail on page 9 of attached Sector Skills Agreement - click here.

CHANGES IN EDUCATION

Diplomas and Apprenticeships are expected to become the qualifications of choice for young people alongside GCSEs and A Levels. The Health Sector needs to be able to respond. Click here to read Page 16 of the Sector Skills Agreement for an outline of education changes.

HEALTH AMBASSADORS EAST

Skills for Health and Aimhigher Healthcare Strand have developed a Health Ambassador Service which now sends health ambassadors into a large number of schools across the Region. NHS East of England is now a partner supporting the scheme. Following external evaluation of the Ambassador service which identified its overall success to date and key areas for development, the contract for the service has been retendered in 2009 and awarded to The Britten Partnership. The Health Ambassador East programme can offer each Trust support with:

• Engaging with local secondary schools, teachers and students
• Advice and good practice on getting involved with the 14-19 Diplomas
• Professional development for Trust staff to support them in working with school aged students - that can be useful in a range of setting
  

A number of recruitment events are taking place across the Trusts in the East of England to encourage more health professionals to become a Health Ambassadors.

• To find out what is happening in your area,  please contact:
  email: www/healthambassadorseast@brittenpartnership.co.uk or 
  Tel:  01354 693930 (speak to Anne or Tracy).
  
  
• For information about the Health Ambassador Service which is now open to all schools and health employers, see:
  Website: http://www.brittenpartnership.co.uk/ or
  email: healthambassadorseast@brittenpartnership.co.uk.

For the latest news about the service, see: http://www.brittenpartnership.co.uk.

To guide and support the work of Health Ambassadors East a new regional steering group has been established with representatives from health, education and other key partners/stakeholders. Click here for terms of reference and membership of this group.

SUPPORTING DIPLOMAS

The Society Health and Development Diploma (SHD) started in September 2008. Health Ambassadors East is supporting schools and teachers to implement diploma curricula as well as provide more traditional careers advice. A successful East of England conference on the 14-19 Diploma, jointly organised by MOVE, the Lifelong Learning Network for the East of England, and the Aimhigher Healthcare Strand, took place on 22 April 2009. A report on the event including recommendations for future action can be accessed here.

Click here for a list of participating schools and colleges in the East of England.  New learning materials developed by practitioners in the four sectors and other materials are available at: http://diploma.skillsforhealth.org.uk.

Given the breadth of occupations in the NHS particularly, many of the new diplomas may be relevant in addition to SHD. Click here for a full list of diploma subjects. One of particular interest is a new Public Services Diploma which is in development.  For Public Services Diploma updates, click here.

Ofsted has published its 2nd report on the progress in implementing the reforms, including the introduction of the 14-19 diplomas (from September 2008). The report found that generally whilst the main subject learning was going well, other elements, such as functional skills, needed to be improved. Paragraphs 115 – 126 summarise the findings on Society, Health and Development Diploma according to Key strengths, Key areas of improvement, Achievement and participation, Teaching and learning, Curriculum development and Leadership and Management. 6 specific recommendations for action by 14-19 partnerships and diploma consortia are made – see page 6 of the report. To access the report Implementation of 14-19 Reforms 2nd report, click here.

SUPPORTING APPRENTICESHIPS

Along with Diplomas, Apprenticeships are one of the Government’s flagship qualifications. As participation is extended (i.e. the school leaving age is raised), demand for apprenticeships is expected to grow. Health sector apprenticeships need to be on offer and the public sector is expected to promote their development. Click here for Public Sector Employment Agreement.

There are Young Apprenticeships (14-16yrs), Apprenticeships (16 yrs + at level 2) and Advanced Apprenticeships (16 yrs+ at Level 3) leading to access to higher education if required. There is no longer an upper age limit so Apprenticeships are also available for adults. To obtain an Employers’ Apprenticeship Implementation Guide [download] or to join the Employers’ Apprenticeship Learning Set, contact Wendy Wilkinson - email: wendy.wilkinson@healthskillseast.org.uk.

For further information go to the Apprenticeships page on this website.

MENTORING

There are/have been a number of projects in the region whereby young people in schools and colleges are mentored by a range of staff currently employed in the health sector or by university students currently training in health related subjects. Many of these projects rely on e.mentoring using The Brightside Trust’s Bright Journals system. There is an e.mentoring toolkit available on this site for anyone planning to set up or run an e.mentoring project. Contact Lesley Thompson for further details: lesley.thompson@healthskillseast.org.uk.

WORK EXPERIENCE

The Aimhigher Healthcare Strand in the East of England is funding an East of England Work Experience project to develop a regional web-based  “Work Experience” toolkit.  An important element of the project is a questionnaire which has been sent out to Human Resource and Education & Training leads via the HR Directors Network, and which will help identify Trust involvement in work experience and their support needs.  The project will be completed by the end of June 2010.  To find out more about the project – click here – and to access the questionnaire – click here.

USEFUL WEBSITES

• NHS Careers – Step into the NHS
  A key website of use in engaging young people in opportunities in the health sector.
  Website:  http://www.stepintothenhs.nhs.uk/
  
  
• 14 - 19 Reform – Case Studies
  These case studies describe the consortium / school and its location, issues faced, solutions and outcomes. Categories include: apprenticeships, diploma and collaboration and partnership etc. To access, see DCSF 14-19 Reform case studies.
  
  
• Health and Safety Executive – Young People At Work
  For information on work experience, risks, the legal framework and to access related health and safety resources, click here. 
  
  
• Health Ambassadors East Newsletter - November 2009
  

For a sheet with details of others, please contact:  lesley.thompson@healthskillseast.org.uk

RESOURCE GUIDE

To access further information on working with schools and colleges, see section 4 of the Resource Guide.