Vocational Guidance: Medicine

(asked on 19th April 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to encourage more secondary school pupils to consider pursuing a career in (a) medicine and (b) the NHS, particularly in areas where NHS recruitment is low; and if he will make a statement.


Answered by
Gillian Keegan Portrait
Gillian Keegan
Secretary of State for Education
This question was answered on 22nd April 2021

It is essential that young people have information on a wide range of jobs and careers so that they can make informed choices. The Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) connects schools and colleges with employers from a variety of sectors, including medicine and the NHS, to provide meaningful encounters with the world of work for young people. They do this through their Enterprise Adviser Network and Careers Hubs, in collaboration with Local Enterprise Partnerships who tailor support according to local labour market information.

Thirteen NHS Trusts, including Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals, which are all large healthcare employers, are part of CEC’s Cornerstone employers’ group. Cornerstone employers are major employers who target support for young people in disadvantaged areas. Four in five schools and colleges in England have adopted the eight Gatsby Benchmarks of good careers guidance. These include learning from career and labour market information, encounters with employers and employees, and experiences of workplaces. 3.3 million secondary aged school and college students now benefit from regular and meaningful employer encounters – an increase of 70% in two years.

From September this year, T Levels in Health and Healthcare Science are being introduced. During these two-year programmes, students will develop the core knowledge and skills that are needed for entry to a range of healthcare occupations. Both T Levels include a minimum of nine weeks working with an employer on an industry placement.

The National Careers Service provides independent, professional advice on skills and the labour market. Secondary school pupils can find information on a variety of careers, including those in medicine and the NHS, on the National Careers Service website. Young people aged 13 to 18 can also access ongoing in-depth guidance via local telephone-based advisers and web chat.

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