The Careers Hub set up camp at The Walton Centre eagerly awaiting the arrival of hundreds of excited, hungry, young explorers on their first Workplace Safari to learn all about careers in the NHS.
Students brought with them carefully prepared questions and research, so they were fully equipped to navigate the jungle of NHS careers, creating a lively buzz around the room with staff.
Sally Beevers, Careers Hub Lead said: “We are really pleased with the enthusiasm from schools to participate in this event and that students have arrived fully prepared and keen to engage with staff. This is another great opportunity for students to progress their careers journey.”
Pupils visited 6 different job roles and staff from The Walton Centre prepared interactive short sessions to bring to life the world of work. Students were able to see first-hand how 3D technology is being used to create ceramic skull templates for brain surgery and experiment with the latest medical equipment to aid rehabilitation for patients.
One student commented: “I though the NHS was only about being a doctor or a nurse, there are so many other jobs that I didn’t know about.”
National LMI data predicts significant growth in the healthcare industry. For example, jobs in nursing, physiotherapy and pharmacy are projected to grow by 4.7% before 2024, creating 40,600 jobs. In the same period, 29.9% of the workforce is projected to retire, creating 256,400 job openings. Such opportunities demonstrate the importance of introducing the world of the NHS to our young people.
We wanted the event to have a long-lasting impact and also reach young people who weren’t fortunate enough to attend. With this in mind, we have asked students to enter a competition to create a student NHS careers guide. This guide consolidates student knowledge by asking them to creatively apply their learning. The winning entry will be shared across the Liverpool City Region, Careers Hub schools to help young people, who couldn’t attend, make an informed careers decision.
Gayle Hall, Careers Coordinator at Notre Dame Catholic College, commented on the impact of the event: “Students have been able to have great conversations with health professionals face to face: which is invaluable. They get a real insight into the highs and lows of the job and it allows them to consider studying health and science subjects after GCSE. The Walton Centre staff have similar backgrounds to the students they’ve seen today, they’re fantastic role models showing them what is possible.”
Once the dust had settled and students had left for the day, equipped with their NHS survival kit, the staff at the Walton Centre approached us to arrange a further expedition in the coming months; we happily agreed.