Derby County Community Trust deliver new traineeship programme for young people looking for employment

Derby County Community Trust deliver new traineeship programme for young people looking for employment

Derby County Community Trust are thrilled to be partnering with the Prince’s Trust to deliver a new traineeship programme to support young people to gain employment within the health and social care sector.

The money has been awarded through the Prince’s Trust’s SCORE (Supporting, Career, Opportunities, Recruitment & Employment) programme and is part of an ongoing workforce development drive to meet the shortfalls within the sector. The focus of the 12-week course will be to support 16–30-year-olds to gain tangible qualifications alongside ‘soft skills’, such as confidence, time management and budgeting, in readiness for employment. While the programme aims to support exit routes into health and social care, the programme will cover all roles within these settings, with no direct focus on frontline or clinical positions.

In order to maximise the potential of the three-year-project, which is funded until 2024, Derby County Community Trust have set up advisory panel of local representatives who cover the sectors which the project has been set up to support.

“The last 24 months has demonstrated more than ever the amazing work, dedication and selfless focus of those working within the Health and Social Care sector. […] In this programme we are combining Health and Social Care with a passion for supporting young people into enriching and fulfilling careers. Pulling these two together is a powerful force in ensuring that young people can become inspired by a long-term career built on a purpose to protect and improve the lives and communities of those around us. […] I could not be more proud to Chair our Advisory Group with such a wonderful group of like-minded people and I am so excited about the positive impact that this will have on Derby and our region.” 

Graham Cameron, from Pennine Healthcare, Chair of the Board

The project will run in tandem with the Trust’s existing employability activity, which already supports those who are not in education, employment or training to re-enter one of these avenues.

Pivotal to the projects is the opportunity for learners to gain their Functional Skills qualifications in the core subjects of English and Maths, allowing succession into a wide range of educational or employment settings which could have previously been inaccessible.

“It is a key focus of our charity to optimise life chances , and nowhere is that better materialised than through our traineeship programme. […] The Prince’s Trust new funding stream will enable us to more than double the amount of young people who we are able to support on an annual basis to gain sustainable employment and boost their opportunities in a range of career options which will be tailored to each individual.”

Bev Crighton, Employability Lead at the Trust