SWB team up with Connexions to showcase opportunities

As part of Sandwell Council’s ambition to showcase careers and apprenticeships in the NHS, SWB were invited to a recent awareness event at West Bromwich Albion Football Club.

Facilitated by Sandwell Connexions, an organisation providing career advice guidance for young people across the borough, the event saw over 1,800 people attend the Baggies to find out more about a career in care.

Alongside SWB, there were also other public sector stakeholders at the Albion including representatives from West Midlands Police, the RAF, the Navy, West Midlands Ambulance Service and local colleges and universities across the Midlands.

Karen Whitehouse, Apprenticeship Coordinator thinks the event was hugely beneficial for those who attended as well as the Trust.

She said: “For all those who came along it gave us an opportunity to showcase what the Trust has to offer, inspire the next generation and provide invaluable information on pathways into the NHS with apprenticeships being one of them.”

Nikki Smith, Work Experience and School Engagement Lead echoed these thoughts and said, “Attendees were able to gain important knowledge and resources which will help them make the next decision into what career path they may wish to take or further education opportunities. It also helped raise awareness of different careers.”

She added: “Our aim at the event was to share what apprenticeship opportunities are available from entry level (2) up to degree

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level (7) as well as the different career choices in the NHS. Many people often forget that there are roles beyond doctors and nurses, so embedding knowledge into young people to make informed career choices and ultimately help people consider the NHS as an employer of choice is very rewarding!”

Aaron Bertram Miller and Stacey Clarke, Nursing Associate Practice Educators were also representing the Trust at the event from a clinical perspective and said, “from our viewpoint we truly believe that many of these young people could be our nurses of the future, so it is key they know everything about a career in healthcare.”

From now until when we move into Midland Met, we will be sharing updates with you about the many people involved in the project and the role they each play.

The successful opening of Midland Metropolitan University Hospital relies on many people, teams and stakeholders. Once open, it will have a far-reaching impact –not only on those we care for but also on colleagues and our community in terms of regeneration, jobs, housing, charitable endeavours and so much more.

Getting us to Midland Met is a team effort. We all have a part to play in making it #morethanahospital!

This month we caught up with Paul Hazle from our commissioning team.

How long have you been at SWB and what is your current role?

I am a senior commissioning manager for the Midland Met project. I have worked at SWB since 2008 in various project management roles across the organisation, including service redesign, transformation and reconfiguration projects and an operational management secondment.