City College Plymouth Elevates City’s NHS Workforce in Careers Hub Launch

University Hospitals Plymouth (UHP) NHS Trust, City College Plymouth, and Livewell South West have partnered to deliver a transformative NHS Careers Hub in the heart of the city. This innovative hub is set to significantly enhance students’ access to job opportunities within the NHS, creating a seamless integration of workforce development across multiple sectors within the city.

The NHS is facing an unprecedented demand for healthcare professionals to address both current and future needs, with a particular emphasis on preparing for the years ahead. To align with the NHS’ goal of creating a 21st Century workforce by 2024/25, the NHS Careers Hub will widen participation across the city by raising the profile of the 350 different career paths within the NHS. It will provide careers information, advice and guidance to students aged 16-18 in both the College and schools in Plymouth. 

The advice and guidance will not only signpost young people to one of the many vocational and academic courses on offer at City College Plymouth, but also towards Apprenticeships. In conjunction with UHP, the College has recently welcomed the second cohort of students onto the Healthcare Support Worker Apprenticeship within the hospital to promote a more experience-based pathway into the healthcare sector.

Given the city and the region’s growing and ageing population and the overreliance on the health service in recent years, the College and its partners have a clear opportunity to lead the way in supporting the health and active wellbeing of Plymouth. The launch of the NHS Careers Hub perfectly aligns with the College’s mission to play an active role in preparing the workforce of the future and fostering collaborative initiatives throughout the region.

Jackie Grubb, Chief Executive of City College Plymouth, said of the launch:

“As the anchor institution for skills in the city, we are committed to widening participation and raising the profile of the variety of careers within the health sector. 

“The current employment landscape in this sector highlights the need for a continuous supply of talent for various roles. Our collaboration with UHP and Livewell South West opens up opportunities for students throughout the College to explore these career pathways while also extending these resources to our local schools.

“One of our key strategic initiatives at the College is to promote health and well-being within our community, and the establishment of our NHS Careers Hub is a vital step in expanding participation citywide to ensure our community receives effective care.”

Dawn Slater, Director of Professionalism and People at Livewell Southwest said:

“We are thrilled to be a part of the NHS Careers Hub along with our partners at University Hospitals Plymouth. The new Workforce Strategy for the NHS puts emphasis on creating the workforce of the future, which will bring with it new pathways of entry into clinical and non-clinical roles. It is a time of great opportunity for someone looking to develop a career with the NHS, so we hope to truly inspire the next generation through the Careers Hub.”

Ann James, Chief Executive of UHP, said:

“We are really excited about the NHS Careers Hub at City College Plymouth and what it will deliver for our local community. This initiative will provide young people with the opportunity to explore the various career paths available within the NHS. The space will enable young people to interact with our organisation and healthcare professionals, and hopefully inspire them to consider a career in the NHS. We are thrilled to be part of this exciting project and look forward to continuing to work in close partnership with City College Plymouth and supporting the next generation of NHS colleagues to develop.”

A completely free resource available to young people in our community, the Hub offers them the opportunity to explore various NHS career options, initiate the development of their career paths, and seek answers to inquiries related to NHS employment. 

For schools interested in finding out how the Hub can help their pupils, please call 01752 305300.