ELHT is delighted to have been able to offer employment to 12 out of 14 unemployed young people who took part in an innovative new programme that began before the COVID-19 pandemic took hold.
The ‘Get into Hospital Services’ programme is a Prince’s Trust initiative that was being delivered in partnership with ELHT at the Royal Blackburn and Burnley General Teaching Hospital sites.
Zainab Malik is one of young people that has gained employment with East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust (ELHT) on the hospital’s staff bank.
Zainab said: “My initial placement was at the Elective Centre at Burnley General Teaching Hospital. I enjoyed the fact that every day is different on an NHS hospital ward. Everyone has been friendly and welcoming on the programme. My duties involved patient hydration and nutrition, infection control and environmental health and safety. I assisted staff with patients who had language barriers too. What I really enjoyed on this programme was the opportunity to participate in continuous personal development courses.
“The biggest challenge we have all faced during this programme is the emergence of the coronavirus. However, this pandemic has also given me a lot of resilience. I am proud to be joining hands with the NHS during this time.
“The Prince’s Trust is a great organisation that helps young people gain work experience and then potential employment. The support given has helped me gain confidence in order to get back into the world of work. I would describe myself as a lifelong learner and as someone who enjoys grasping new opportunities.”
Zainab was also invited to join the Chairman of The Prince’s Trust’s Corporate Advisory Group Sir James Wates CBE, and CEO Jonathan Townsend, for a Zoom based leadership breakfast event. At this event Zainab was able to eloquently describe her experiences to a number of senior business people and organisations, explaining what the programme and the opportunities meant to her.
Julia Owen, Associate Director of Education, Research & Innovation for East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust said:
“It is fantastic that we have been able to assist in getting so many young people into employment. This programme gives young people the additional skills, experience and most importantly the confidence to help them get a job. The fact that this can be the start of a great career within the NHS is the icing on the cake!”
Kelly Crawford, Head of Operations for The Prince’s Trust in Lancashire, said: “Our recent Young People in Lockdown report has found that 66 per cent of young people aged 16-25 in the North West feel like their life is on hold and 47 per cent say they don’t feel in control of their lives.
“We need young people in Lancashire to be able to keep learning, keep working, and being given the chance to succeed as active contributors to our society. Together, we can keep the lives of young people on track through this crisis and help them to start living, learning and earning once again, and help our communities to recover.
“Thank you to ELHT for supporting us to do this. We very much value our partnership and look forward to supporting even more young people to kickstart careers with the NHS and ELHT.