East of England to celebrate reaching 500 Prince’s Trust graduates
On 29th November 2013, the 500th student of The Prince’s Trust ‘Get into Health’ programmes will graduate at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (NNUH).
‘Get into Health’ is a partnership set up in 2008 between Health Education East of England and youth charity The Prince’s Trust. It consists of several programmes including Get into Health & Social Care, Get into Health and Wellbeing, and Get into Hospital Services. These programmes are short vocational courses aimed at giving young people aged 16 to 25 who are not in employment or education, the necessary skills to join the NHS workforce. In the East of England, of the 487 young people who have completed the programme to date, 63% have moved into employment so far and 78% in total have moved out of NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) status.
The ‘Get into Hospital Services’ programme, delivered by NHS organisations such as NNUH and its hospital service provider, Serco, and funded by Health Education East of England, has been running since 2009. Three in four young people on The Prince’s Trust programmes go on to get a job, move into education or access training.
Two such success stories are Samantha Jones and Ryan Cappuccio. Sam Jones, 24, from Cromer, was heading for a career in the RAF when her hopes were dashed as she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 16. After that her life went into a downward spiral and she drifted from one part-time job to another until she was given a chance by The Prince’s Trust to achieve the qualifications she had missed out on at school.
Sam said: “I was hoping to be a physical training instructor with the RAF so the news about my diabetes came as a dreadful shock,” said Sam. “My hospital visits were a revelation – I had no idea so many people were involved in the care of patients with diabetes. When I was offered a two-week work placement as part of my Prince’s Trust training I really enjoyed the experience and things just went on from there.”
Sam has now completed a Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship in Business Administration working as the apprentice administrator within the Training Department at the NNUH and is about to commence a CIPD Intermediate Certificate in Human Resource Management (HRM).
Ryan Cappuccio, 24, from Norwich, was working as a bricklayer when he badly injured a tendon in his right hand. He had to undergo two operations and many months of physiotherapy. Without the full use of his hand, he was unable to continue working.
Ryan struggled to get back into the workplace and spent nearly two years without a job. He had always wanted to work in a hospital but felt that his lack of experience was holding him back. Being long-term unemployed caused Ryan to feel down and he started to doubt that he would ever get a job.
Ryan who now works as a Apprentice Admin Assistant in ENT Out-patients at the NNUH said: “The Prince’s Trust changed my life. I’ve got a job now and my confidence has improved. As part of Get into Hospital Services we had to do practice interviews and although it was nerve-racking talking in front of a group, it did help. If it wasn’t for the course I’d still be out of a job and signing on. I would recommend this programme to any unemployed young people out there.”
Steve John Shepherd, one of The Princes Trust’s ambassadors, will be hosting a graduation event for the 34 students on the current ‘Get into Hospital Services’ programme at the NNUH on 29th November. Steve John Shepherd recently starred as Michael Moon in BBC soap opera Eastenders.
Julia Watling, Training and Development Manager for the NNUH, said: “The ‘Get into Hospital Services’ programme is a great opportunity for local young people to develop their knowledge and skills and ultimately their confidence within the workplace. It has been a privilege to support all the candidates that have come through this programme, many of whom have gone onto secure employment at the NNUH and other NHS organisations.”
Chris Paul, corporate social responsibility manager for Serco at NNUH, said: “People are an integral part of any company such as ours. To have the best people available at all levels is essential. Our employment programmes, including with The Princes Trust and NNUH, enable us to help our communities and to gain the best recruits by helping them to demonstrate their abilities and attitudes. I would like to congratulate all the young people who have participated in the programme and wish them all the best for the future.”
John O’Reilly, Regional Director of The Prince’s Trust in Central England, said: “It is wonderful to see such a large number of young people achieve great things on the Get into Health programme. Many young people are ambitious to pursue careers in health but lack the means to realise their potential. Working together, The Prince’s Trust, NNUH, Serco, and HEEE, have helped a landmark number of young people to move forward and achieve their aspirations. Well done to everyone involved.”
Stephen Welfare, Managing Director at the East of England Local Education and Training Board, said: “We are delighted that this scheme has been such a success. To think that our funding has contributed to improving the lives of 500 young people, whilst bringing fresh faces into the NHS workforce, is fantastic. We are all looking forward to celebrating the success of our students.”
Notes for editors
Photo and interview opportunities
1.30pm in the Benjamin Gooch Lecture Theatre, East Atrium, Level 1 at the NNUH – the students who have just completed the ‘Get into Hospital Services’ programme, including the 500th graduate, will be presented with their certificates.
2.00pm Graduates will cut a cake celebrating the 500th graduate on the Princes Trust’s ‘Get into Health’ programmes.
About the ‘Get into Health’ programme
Get into Health is an initiative designed to provide work-ready young people young people with the opportunity to gain work experience, training and qualifications in the health sector, with a view to supporting them into apprenticeship and/or employment opportunities.
The next ‘Get into Hospital Services’ programme at NNUH begins on 10th March 2014. The programme is open to unemployed young people aged 16-25. Please contact Katrina Rand on 07946 559335 or email katrina.rand@princes-trust.org.uk for more information.
About The Prince’s Trust
Youth charity The Prince’s Trust helps disadvantaged young people to get their lives on track. It supports 13 to 30 year-olds who are unemployed and those struggling at school and at risk of exclusion. Many of the young people helped by The Prince’s Trust are in or leaving care, facing issues such as homelessness or mental health problems, or they have been in trouble with the law. The Trust’s programmes give vulnerable young people the practical and financial support needed to stabilise their lives, helping develop self-esteem and skills for work. Three in four young people supported by The Prince’s Trust move into work, education or training. The Prince of Wales charity has helped 750,000 young people since 1976 and supports over 100 mo
re each day. Further information about The Prince’s Trust is available at www.princes-trust.org.uk or on 0800 842 842.
Local Education and Training Boards
Local Education and Training Boards (LETBs) are responsible for supplying the workforce and delivering education, training and development to the local NHS.
Health Education East of England
Health Education East of England is the Local Education and Training Board (LETB) for the region. Health Education East of England covers Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Bedfordshire, Luton and Essex. For more information, visit https://www.eoedeanery.nhs.uk/page.php?page_id=2062