Skip to content Skip to main menu Skip to utility menu

Heartbeat: Kickstarting careers in the NHS

March 23, 2022

Seven young recruits keen to get their foot on the first step of the NHS career ladder recently joined the team at Lyndon Primary Care Centre thanks to the Kickstart employment scheme.

The Kickstart employment scheme aims to offer young people aged 16 – 24 years old a work placement which will give them the experience they need to succeed. The fully funded government scheme supports organisations to offer new six-month placements to young people in receipt of universal credit who are at risk of long-term unemployment.

At our Trust, the widening participation project team have worked collaboratively with the Lyndon primary care team (YHP) in supporting the kickstart scheme and giving a group of new recruits a springboard in to employment.

Launching the programme, Widening Participation Support Officer Nicky Smith said: “This is an incredible opportunity for young people to be introduced and supported in to new roles, with a light touch opportunity – but one that is set to give them an incredible set of skills regardless of how they decide to proceed with their careers.”

The first cohort of seven recruits joined us at the end of January and took on the roles of ‘meet and greet receptionists’ fulfilling frontline duties at six different GP sites across Sandwell and West Birmingham.

Thanking colleagues for their support in launching the programme, Nicky continued: “None of this could have happened without the support of Rajeev Pathak who is the operations manager (telephony) and Louise Ross Frontline (operations manager). They have been instrumental in supporting each of the seven individuals ensuring that they are given all of the help and support they need to help them learn new skills and grow in confidence.”

Mid way through the trainees programme they will receive support from the widening participation team in helping them complete job applications and start to apply for jobs in the NHS. Talking though what they have learnt and ensuring that this is included in their applications.

Trainees will also be offered the chance to sign up to Trust Bank and we will also discuss the pathway into apprenticeships with support from the apprenticeship team.