28 April 2004 - Health ambitions for unemployed
An initiative to help unemployed people find work in the National Health Service was announced today by Work and Pensions Secretary Andrew Smith.
Ambition:Health will give people the chance of support and training to help them into jobs in the NHS.
The programme has been developed by Jobcentre Plus and the National Employment Panel, along with the NHS and the Learning and Skills Council to help unemployed and disadvantaged people into work.
The pilot programme is targeting areas of high unemployment which also have NHS skills shortages. It will also offer in-work support to encourage career progression.
Mr Smith said today: “Ambition is a carefully targeted, sector-based initiative that has already helped around 2,000 people into sustainable jobs in construction, energy, IT and retail.
“The programme has also helped employers alleviate skills shortages and recruitment difficulties in their sectors.
“Ambition:Health provides an opportunity for the Government to achieve a number of objectives through effective collaboration between its agencies. For example, once Jobcentre Plus has helped participants find work, they will receive further support and training through the Learning and Skills Council.
“And the NHS is acting not only as employer, but also as a key delivery partner, working to tackle skills shortages that can have an impact on the delivery of services to patients,” added Mr Smith.
The pilots start on Merseyside in September 2004 and in South Yorkshire in the New Year.
Notes for editors
- Ambition:Health is the fifth of the Ambition initiatives – pilots are already running across the country in the energy, construction, retail and IT sectors. Each of these programmes offers high quality, employment-focused training to unemployed and disadvantaged people. Employers are engaged directly in setting the design and content of the training, so it is based entirely on their hiring requirements.
- People who get a place on the Ambition:Health programme can expect to gain the skills for specific occupations in the health sector – for example healthcare assistants, assistant technicians, rehabilitation support workers and administrators – as well as ongoing skills development towards recognised qualifications once they are in work.
- The South Yorkshire pilot will initially be focused in the Barnsley and Rotherham area. It is expected to expand to Sheffield and Doncaster at a later date.
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