Anita Goyal, Trustee at the Hallmark Care Homes Foundation, discusses how their annual conference aims to inspire young people to pursue careers in social care.
The recent King’s Fund report on recruiting and retaining young people in the care workforce has highlighted massive challenges for all of us.
The conclusions of ‘Changemakers or Troublemakers?’ include the lack of support for young people entering the care workforce, the demands of the work for which young people may not be prepared, employers not wanting to recruit young people and not recognising their skills.
These are big challenges. But they are not insurmountable. Indeed, we must meet them if we are to continue to grow and develop the care sector.
That’s why the Hallmark Foundation is hosting our second national care careers conference and exhibition for school and college students later this year. The event will take place on Tuesday 19 November at the incredible Tottenham Hotspur stadium, the first completely digital football ground in the country.
Building on the success of our first conference in 2023, ‘Who Cares Wins!’ aims to encourage students from years 9-13 to think about and explore the wide variety of career options in the care sector. From frontline caring to technology, hospitality to management, finance to marketing and much more.
I often say to young people that if you’re looking for a job with long-term prospects then the care sector has it. We need at least another half a million care workers over the next decade to meet the growing demands for care from our ageing population.
Young people entering the workforce can expect to progress quickly up the career ladder if the work is right for them. They can take on extra responsibility swiftly and undertake demanding and meaningful jobs.
Clearly we need to raise awareness about these opportunities among students, their teachers and careers advisers. But there are several other things our conference and exhibition aim to do.
As a former teacher, I am often surprised by the lack of contact between schools and colleges on the one hand and care providers on the other, even though they may be close neighbours in their local community. Linking schools and colleges with care providers would have a number of benefits – increased understanding between generations and about what happens in care settings, the importance of care work for all of us at some point in our lives, tackling ageism and loneliness, as well as opening up work experience and volunteering opportunities.
Care providers could be more proactive in reaching out to schools and opening their doors – as indeed many will do during the forthcoming Care Home Open Week from 24 June. Care homes are a key part of most local communities but often they are out of sight, particularly for young people.
Changing the culture and leadership of the care workforce is crucial to welcome young people into the sector and make them feel valued, understood and supported. We must do more to showcase young people already pursuing successful careers in care.
We also need government to step up its recruitment campaigns and to target young people more explicitly, just as campaigns for teaching, nursing and the armed forces have helped change their image.
The next government also faces the challenge of resourcing the care sector properly so that pay and training are improved significantly and career development is well rewarded, as part of addressing workforce issues strategically.
Our event on 19 November will be another step on the way to making care a career for all ages. Find out more about ‘Who Cares Wins!’ by contacting Roxy.Potts@hgf.org.uk or encourage your local school/college to attend with students.
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