The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn (QEH) has backed the new Kickstart programme, aiming to support young people into work who are at risk of long-term unemployment.
Last week the Trust launched its first session, enrolling eight local young people into the Government funded scheme which works in conjunction with the Department of Work and Pensions and the College of West Anglia.
The eight individuals will be located across the Trust in teams including Cancer Services, Diabetes and Medical Staffing, supporting the teams to deliver patient care and services, gaining valuable work experience and skills.
Eloise Heath is one of the candidates joining the Trust through the programme. Set to be based in the Resuscitation and Deteriorating Patient Team, Eloise’s role will include supporting the team’s preparation for teaching sessions, data collection and management, and other administrative duties.
Eloise said: “I applied for Kickstart to gain more experience. I chose the hospital as it is at the heart of the community in West Norfolk. I was worried about starting a new job as it is something completely new for me, but I’m looking forward to meeting new people, gaining new skills and seeing how the hospital runs.”
Andrea James, Widening Participation Facilitator at the Trust, said: “This cohort of individuals are fantastic. They are really enthusiastic, motivated and keen to learn and have already made a positive start. We’re excited to see where this takes them in the future.”
Sophie Golsby, Widening Participation Lead at the Trust, said: “The Kickstart Programme not only provides young people with valuable work experience, but also employability skills training to ensure they are in a better position to apply for a permanent role in the future, either within the Trust or elsewhere. This training includes CV writing, interview skills and much more. It’s a great initiative as everyone wins.”
As well as the Kickstart programme, QEH supports several early career development initiatives, including bespoke work experience for individuals from the local community, career events and apprenticeship programmes.
Jo Humphries, Director of People at QEH said: “Our input into early career development is vital to the long-term success of the Trust. Our vision is to be the best rural District General Hospital for patient and staff experience and to achieve this we need to inspire the next generation and develop local people into professional roles. Our wider participation programmes such as Kickstart and work experience help us to move closer to that goal.”
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Induction day for the QEH Kickstart Programme. Pictured above (L to R) Andrea James, Keighley Moon, Andrea Smith, Dominyka Jucheviciute, Rebecca Baker, Sophie Golsby, Eloise Heath, Seanie Dixon, Eden Waters, Mike Albert, Alison Cross, Lucas Groom, Freya Howard, Ann Byrne, Stacy Metcalfe.
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