Hospital partnership with Stoke on Trent College is getting North Staffordshire unemployed adults back to work
Trainee clinical support workers are being given job opportunities in North Staffordshire thanks to a new agreement between the University Hospital of North Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent College.
The college has designed a recruitment strategy for the area’s biggest hospital to ensure they have a regular supply of temporary staff over the winter period when demand is at its greatest.
Potential staff are trained by the college, complete a work placement at the hospital, and then are offered interviews with the hospital.
The targeted accredited training includes units from City & Guilds Diploma in Health & Social Care, Manual Handling, CIEH Food Hygiene, Personal Hygiene, Infection Control, First Aid and Recording of Information
Lisa Davies, Recruitment Manager at Stoke on Trent College, said: “The success of the pilot has led to the University Hospital of North Staffordshire expanding the scope of the work with the college.
“Participants who are successful in meeting the programme criteria are offered guaranteed interviews. There is a genuine offer of employment as Clinical Support Workers for our successful students.”
Aimee Colgan, Careers Adviser for the hospital trust, said there were benefits for both the hospital and job seekers from the programme which was organised through the new Government backed Sector Based Work Academy initiative.
She said: “Potential workers were identified and trained by Stoke on Trent College and the hospital provided them with guidance and work experience to enable them to apply for jobs as Clinical Support Workers.
“Undertaking the training and work experience has enabled individuals to build the transferrable skills that they will need, not only as a Clinical Support Worker but also in many related industries.
“Where trainees have been taken on by the Trust it has meant we can be confident that newly recruited staff have both the up-to-date knowledge and the relevant work experience to contribute effectively to our workforce”
Trish Martin, Recruitment Manager at University Hospital said: “Getting 28 people onto temporary contracts to support the move into the new hospital is absolutely fantastic and shows that the Sector Based Work Academy really works”.
“The pilot project with University Hospital of North Staffordshire has proved a great success,” added Lisa Davies, from Stoke on Trent College.
“It is providing a clear pathway into work for students who want to work in the NHS.”
The college runs a variety of healthcare courses designed to get people into work.
Sector Based Academies are a Government Department of Work and Pensions/Job Centre Plus initiative aimed at providing accredited pre-employment training and work experience to people who are motivated and ready for work.
Stoke on Trent College is an accredited supplier to the service.
For more information visit www.stokecollege.ac.uk, join us on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/StokeonTrentCollege
