Shrewsbury Colleges Group creates unique partnership with the NHS

Shrewsbury Colleges Group (SCG) and The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) have announced plans to join together to form a unique partnership to benefit young people, the county and the community.

The College provides excellent education and training to meet a wide range of careers and employment opportunities, but is the first in the country to offer a dedicated programme of careers support focusing on the breadth of roles within the NHS, the county’s largest employer. Selected full-time academic, vocational courses and Apprenticeships will now offer specific NHS-related elements as well as career planning, placements and mentoring to equip students with the skills and behaviours required to work in a wide variety of roles across the NHS.

Catherine Armstrong, Group Vice Principal Curriculum Support and Business Development at SCG commented, “We’re really excited about partnering with the NHS and the fantastic opportunities it will give our young people as they approach the world of work. The selected courses and Apprenticeships will be structured to incorporate relevant content and supported by specialist mentoring, to skill future employees, aid progression and enhance job opportunities. The mentoring support will continue throughout further training for roles such as medicine with the objective of encouraging SCG students to return to Shropshire to advance their careers with the NHS.”

SaTH employs over 6000 staff in both medical and healthcare roles and in numerous other non-medical areas such as estates and business support. The Trust provides district general hospital services for nearly half a million people in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and Mid Wales, the main service locations being the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford and the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital in Shrewsbury, which together provide 99% of the activity.

Victoria Maher, SaTH’s Workforce Director said, “There are obvious benefits for all parties of the NHS having close links with our local training provider. It opens up career pathways and opportunities for people and especially young people to progress from school to college and into employment with an established employer who can support their progression within their chosen career. The NHS can offer a wide variety of career options including the well-recognised clinical roles, doctor, nurse, physiotherapist, etc. There are also roles in administration, management, finance, engineering, catering and many more. To investigate further visit the NHS Careers website www.healthcareers.nhs.uk or to see opportunities locally within the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital visit our recruitment website: www.belongtosomething.co.uk. The NHS is an excellent employer offering a good working environment, good pay and pension arrangements, training and development opportunities and good support from managers and colleagues.”

The partnership will see the College continuing to work with local schools, with which it has established links, and current college students to offer advice on careers with the NHS and training routes. College Students such as Gareth Matthews, 17, currently working towards a Level 3 Extended Diploma in Health & Social Care are already feeling the benefit.

“When I was younger I spent a lot of time in hospital and hearing about the care I was given by the wonderful staff inspired me to pursue a career as a midwife. The College having this partnership with the NHS is an amazing opportunity for the students. I have just started as a Health Care Assistant at Shrewsbury Hospital and other students will now have the advice and guidance to help them get experience and jobs too.”

The NHS will be attending SCG hosted Year 11 Progression Events on Wednesday 24 October at Welsh Bridge and English Bridge Campuses and on Thursday 8 November at London Road Campus. The Open Evenings provide an opportunity to find out about courses, including those offering NHS supported activity, entry requirements and what student life is like at Shrewsbury Colleges Group with staff and existing students on hand to talk to. There will also be a number of events held at the Hospital throughout the academic year supported by Shrewsbury Colleges Group.