Careers in Care – working together to meet industry needs
The DYW D&A team, along with Dundee University’s School of Nursing and Health Sciences led a two day event at Webster’s High School in Kirriemuir this September. The event, called Team Spirit, involved all S1 pupils completing a series of tasks, aimed at developing team working, communication and resilience, while at the same time learning more about careers in healthcare.
Team Spirit was the first event to come out of the work of the DYW D&A convened Careers In Care group. The group has representatives from SDS, Dundee University, Dundee and Angus College, NHS Tayside, Balhousie Care, Barchester Healthcare and Dundee and Angus schools, all coming together to take actions to raise awareness of and promote careers in care with young people.
The health and social care industries urgently need to attract new people to the sector. Early years childcare is undergoing a massive expansion, and in the next 23 years the number of people over 85 in the UK is predicted to more than double. In addition, a significant proportion of workers currently in these sectors are due to retire in the coming years. We therefore need to find ways to reach young people who would perhaps not have thought of working in care, to give them information about the sector and the opportunities it offers. There also remains a large gender imbalance in the workforce, with the vast majority of care workers being female.
Teams Spirit was the first project implemented by the group, and it was a great success. The teams completed a range of tasks including conducting an ‘operation’ to help an injured person in need, transporting an injured person and medical supplies in challenging conditions and figuring out how to cross a ‘dangerous swamp’. They were scored not only on how quickly they competed each task, but also on how well they worked as a team. They therefore learnt that in order to achieve the best outcome they had to collaborate and work flexibly.
Young people on both days thoroughly enjoyed themselves, saying they learnt lots about teamwork, healthcare and also themselves. It was a great example of what can be achieved through partnership working, and we are looking forward to continuing to work together to encourage more young people into the growing care industry.