Five hundred people attended the first health and social care careers fair, part of Bradford Skills Month.
The partnership event, in association with the SkillsHouse Careers and Technical Education saw 20 organisations from across Bradford District’s health and social care sector come together to showcase their work to schools, students and members of the public and get them interested in a career within the sector.
With 42 stalls to visit from organisations such as Skills for Care, local NHS trusts, Born in Bradford and Bradford Council, visitors were able to gain a valuable insight into the range of jobs and careers available in the sector as well as talk to staff to find out what skills are needed to get into these vital roles.
Councillor Imran Khan, Bradford Council’s portfolio holder for Education, Employment and Skills, said, “The Health & Social Care careers fair was an excellent opportunity for people in the district to get a useful insight into this sector. By bringing together a wide range of organisations, the event was able to showcase the number of different jobs available and how valuable this work is.
“I hope all involved found it a rewarding day, and that visitors left feeling inspired to pursue this worthwhile career path.”
Around 500 people attended the event including local students from Carlton Bolling and Parkside School. Students who attended were awarded the careers fair digital badge from Cities of Learning. This is a programme, designed in partnership with local businesses, that recognises individuals’ achievements outside of formally accredited qualifications by using digital badges. Students were awarded the badge for being engaged with stall holders and showing enthusiasm.
Ailsa Benn, the Locality Manager (Yorkshire and Humber/NE) for Skills for Care said, “I was delighted to attend the Health and Social Care careers fair on behalf of Skills for Care. The whole event had a wonderful atmosphere and provided an opportunity for employers to engage and connect with the next generation of talent. I definitely found this event important in line with our ethos of partnership working and have made connections I look forward to working with in the future”
The event was part of Bradford Skills Month, a month aiming to inspire future talent that sees businesses in the manufacturing, tech, health and social care, culture and creative industries opening their doors to young people across the district through events and activities.
To find out more about SkillsMonth, Cities of Learning or SkillsHouse CTE, please visit www.skillshouse.co.uk or email bradfordcte@bradford.gov.uk.
