On Monday, (18 March) The QEH is holding its Stakeholder Work Experience Day and has invited a range of people to the King’s Lynn site to get a feel for the variety of different options available to high school and college students as well as jobseekers.
Work placements can be carried out in a number of areas from pharmacy, radiology and wards, to portering and estates. Time spent is structured and importantly introduces people to working life, building confidence and skills while opening up a world of possibilities.
Representatives from the College of West Anglia, School of Nursing, Springwood High School, Wisbech Grammar and the Department of Work and Pensions will be on site and ready for action, learning about their chosen areas.
Andrea James, Talent Engagement Lead at the QEH said: “We want to inspire people to spend some work experience time here. As one of the area’s biggest employers, we want to continue to develop a skilled locally-grown workforce and work experience is one of the first steps to achieving this.
“We want stakeholders to experience a day’s work experience with us so they are able to learn about the different careers available here and then pass this information onto their students, clients and customers. With first-hand experience, they can talk with passion and conviction and are best placed to explain the processes involved and what the day would be like.”
Kerry Heathcote, Deputy CEO and Vice Principal Curriculum & Quality at the College of West Anglia, will be spending time with The QEH palliative care team.
She said: “I am delighted to be participating in The QEH Stakeholder Day. As a chartered psychologist and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, I have become very interested in end-of-life care in recent years. I am focused on both service-user research and the impact of highly effective practitioners.
“Spending the day at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital as part of the palliative care team will be a privilege and I hope, a precursor to further engagement.”
The hospital’s children’s ward will be the team that Courtney Masterson will be spending time with. She is Work Placement and Careers Mentor at College of West Anglia and said: “As a part of CWA’s Apollo Project team, my role is all about supporting individuals into health and social care roles.
“Work experience is a big part of the learner journey and can help to inform future career choices. I am excited to have the opportunity to experience exactly what our learners will experience when they apply for work experience at The QEH, so I can better support them as they make steps towards their future careers.”
Finally, Nicky Thomson, from Springwood, will be placed with the pharmacy team and will have to adhere to stringent measures to see where medication is prepared and dispensed.
She commented: “I’m attending the stakeholder day because I have two relevant roles at Springwood High School. I’ve recently taken over as the school’s Career Lead (Years 7-13) and I’m also the Sixth Form Academic Mentor.
“Both roles involve promoting careers to students and supporting their decision making on routes to employment. I’m also keen to engage with local employers in West Norfolk to plan careers activities and The QEH is a key stakeholder.”
Ends.
Notes to editors;
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