Helping local young people Kickstart their careers

In the past year, the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust (MYHT) has employed three cohorts of young people from across the district who have found themselves unable to secure work due to a lack of work experience.

Kickstart is a government funded, 6 month scheme that allows organisations to create new jobs for 16 to 24 year olds on Universal Credit, who are at risk of long term unemployment. The education of young people on the MYHT programme range from limited qualifications to master degree level.

MYHT Kickstart students have access to pastoral support throughout the programme to help them with skills they will need to support their ambitions once the programme ends; such as confidence building, interview skills, how to produce a CV and write a strong cover letter.

The MYHT Kickstart programme mirrors the Trust’s regular employment benefits by offering flexible working arrangements that suit the needs and lifestyles of the students.

Since the programme launched in June 2020, two students on the programme have been offered apprenticeships at the Trust and two further students have been successful in securing full-time positions at the Trust, in the area their work experience took place.

The Trust has nominated a number of students for awards at this year’s Kickstart Awards, including the ‘Most Improved’ award and the ‘Overcome Obstacles’ award.

Kadie Wortley (pictured), Project Support Officer, currently undertaking her Kickstart work experience in the Kaizen Promotion Office, said about her experience of the programme;

“Learning is a journey! Kickstart has taught me that I may trip and fall, but motivation and resilience is the key to it all.”

Len Richards, Chief Executive of the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust said;

“Due to the pandemic, more and more young people have found themselves unable to gain quality work experience and have missed opportunities to gain employment in an environment that interests them. Students on the MYHT Kickstart programme are able to gain work experience in a clinical or non-clinical setting of their preference; the current cohort work across the Trust including in Digital services, Facilities, Corporate services and the Medical sector.

“As a Trust we have been so impressed with all the young people we’ve been lucky enough to work with on this programme.

“It has been wonderful to hear about the personal obstacles and barriers they have overcome. I hear that one student has taken it upon themselves to learn to drive, making themselves more employable within their preferred sector – something they previously had no interest in doing. I’m very impressed by their dedication.

“They’ve all made a real difference to our organisation and I am very happy that we’ve been able to retain some of the students from the programme, they are all valued members of our Trust.”