Health and social care careers to be showcased to all Doncaster students at the Dome

More than 350 careers will be showcased at Doncaster Dome this July as partners across health and social care host an event for 12 to 13 year olds, as they begin to think about their GSCE choices.

Organised in partnership between Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals (DBTH), Hall Cross Academy and other health, social care and educational organisations in the area, ‘We Care – Into the Future’ is an opportunity for local youngsters to understand what the NHS and care sector has to offer local students upon completing school.

Dr Alasdair Strachan, Director of Education and Consultant Anaesthetist at DBTH, said “This is a fantastic opportunity for local young people to meet health professionals from a number of professions and specialities and start to think about their future.

“Health and social care offers a wide-range of career prospects, from patient-facing roles to those accountants, IT experts and trades-people, which we do not associate as closely with organisations such as the NHS, but are just as essential in ensuring a hospital like ours can function. There are many entry points to these careers, with on-the-job learning offered as well as opportunities for graduates of higher education to develop, gain experience and thrive within health and social care, and this is what we want to showcase in July.”

The event will take place throughout the day and will feature nurses, doctors and other health and social care professionals representing a wide-range of careers and opportunities within local services. An interactive session, the fayre will simulate a patient’s journey through a hospital, with a number of stalls, stands and interactive booths to visit.

At Doncaster Royal Infirmary there are over 250 different professions, from patient-facing clinicians to those in crucial back-office functions. This is an opportunity for local students to discover what the NHS and public sector has to offer them as they look towards their future in health and social care.

Pippa Dodgshon, Principal at Hall Cross Academy, said: “I believe I can speak on behalf of all schools in the area in that our ambition, above all else, is to ensure that our pupils are given the best possible education in order to prepare them for a fulfilling and fruitful future career.

“This event is an opportunity for our year eight pupils to find out what health and social care has to offer them, while also highlighting those careers not as clearly associated. It will also be a good chance to speak with the people that are in those roles, gaining first-hand insight into what it’s like working within the NHS and other caring organisations.”

The event is currently by invite only and has been offered to every secondary school within Doncaster. All organisations involved will be looking at expanding the event to Worksop in the future.

During the event, representatives will be available from Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals, NHS Doncaster Clinical Commissioning Group, Doncaster Council, Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust, Age UK, the South Yorkshire Region Excellence Centre, Dunniwood Lodge Care Home, Hall Cross Academy, Sheffield Hallam University, the University of Sheffield, Doncaster College and Doncaster Chamber.

This latest event is part of the work which was formally launched between Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals and Hall Cross Academy – the former becoming the UK’s first Foundation School in Health.