Hospital Traineeships learn vital skills

Five young people have transformed their job prospects and gained vital skills by completing Walsall College’s Traineeship programme at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

The Ofsted outstanding college teamed up with Birmingham Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust to put five students through the nine-week Traineeship course, offering them valuable work experience across a range of hospital departments.

Following the training, four students including Scarlet King, 16, Hannah Richmond, 16, Kieran Bird, 19, and Adam Johnson, 21, have now secured paid Apprenticeships at the 354-bed central Birmingham hospital while Sophie Powell, 16, has applied for an internal apprentice vacancy at the College.

The Traineeship programme is a funding initiative which was launched by the Minister of State for Skills and Enterprise Matthew Hancock last year. It aims to help young people who want to get an Apprenticeship or job but don’t yet have the appropriate skills or experience.

Students worked in a variety of departments such as heart investigations, human resources, health records and the neurology ward and their tasks varied from reception duties, reassuring children whilst they were in treatment rooms, admin duties and dealing with telephone enquiries. All five have now achieved an NCFE Level 2 Award in Developing Skills for the Workplace and functional skills in Maths through the BCH Traineeship programme.

On Friday 4th April a presentation ceremony was held at the hospital as they were each presented with a special lapel badge and certificate. It is the first group of students to undertake the Traineeship course at Walsall College and following the successful partnership there will be further opportunities for young people at Birmingham Children’s Hospital in the summer.

Scarlet, who is a single mum, said: “I would recommend this programme to anyone. I’m a single mum and I managed to complete it – being able to make my daughter proud means everything to me and without all the help I received I wouldn’t be the person I am today.

“The course was pitched at just the right level and we have all learned so much. It is a way of learning in a really supported environment and BCH really valued our work. So many new opportunities have now opened because of it.”

Theresa Nelson, Director of Workforce at Birmingham Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We can’t tell people enough how important this Traineeships scheme has been and we gain enormously as an organisation by their enthusiasm and ideas. It is great to hear just how much the trainees have progressed throughout the nine weeks and as a result of this success we are planning to host further Traineeships in the future.”

Lecturer Narinder Badial, who supported the students through the course, said: “I want to thank Birmingham Children’s Hospital for giving this Traineeship programme their backing as they train their workforce of tomorrow. The journey every single one of them has made is amazing. These five talented students are proof that Traineeships really do work with four of them securing Apprenticeships immediately after the course and the other currently in an interview process and very hopeful of securing an Apprenticeship at the College.”