Prince's Trust Trainees celebrate success

Twelve young people from The Prince’s Trust are celebrating after successfully completing a training course with East Coast Community Healthcare (ECCH).

The trainees from Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth have spent six weeks attending a ‘Get into Healthcare’ programme which found them undertaking clinical placements with different ECCH teams as well as classroom sessions covering employability skills and mock job interviews.

They all obtained a Care Certificate at the end of the course which can be used to help them find work in the healthcare sector. All NHS health and social care support workers require a Care Certificate to prove they are equipped with the knowledge and skills to provide safe, compassionate care.

This is the third year ECCH has worked in partnership with The Prince’s Trust to offer the training programme to unemployed 16 to 30 year olds. During their placements the delegates spent time with ECCH’s physiotherapy, podiatry, occupational therapy, health visiting and community nursing teams as well as with staff on the in-patient ward at Beccles Hospital. Non-clinical placements were provided by the James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and social care placements with the social enterprise Independence Matters.

Following the course the students will also be able to apply for apprenticeships, permanent and temporary (bank) positions at ECCH. Many of the students who have attended the course in previous years have since gone on to successfully obtain jobs.

ECCH Training and Development Lead Cheryl Jarvis said: “We always have such a great response from The Prince’s Trust trainees. They’re enthusiastic and so keen to get a foot on the career ladder that it’s a joy to have them with us. The programme is designed to enable them to experience a wide range of clinical and non-clinical roles to help them understand how many different roles are available in the healthcare sector and hopefully inspire them to choose one that sets them on the path to a very rewarding career.”

The Prince’s Trust Get Into Programme Executive Tim Gardiner said: “It has been a pleasure to work with all the organisations on this programme and I’m really proud of the achievements of all the young people. The Prince's Trust Get Into programme is designed to boost confidence, skills and experience to support unemployed young people into the world of work and we are hopeful that they will succeed over the coming months. I would like to thank East Coast Community Healthcare, James Paget University Hospital and Independence Matters for all their support on another successful programme.”

Three in four young people on The Prince’s Trust programmes move into work, training or education. The Prince’s Trust helped more than 58,000 disadvantaged young people last year.