Career engagement and outreach
This page explores how NHS organisations can inspire and support the next generation of health and care professionals. Drawing on national data and good practice examples, we highlight the value of high-quality careers education and the impact this has on building the future workforce.
The national picture
With over 350 roles in health and care, the sector offers a diverse range of career pathways. Yet many young people, and the adults who guide them, are unaware of these opportunities. Increasing awareness through targeted outreach and education empowers students to make informed choices about their future and explore progression routes that match their ambitions.
Recent research by the Career and Enterprise Company, the national body for careers education in England, has found that health and social care is the second most popular sector choice for year 11 students, but more needs to be done to turn that aspiration into uptake. This includes provision to support with applications, recruitment and selection processes and how to translate young people’s skills for the world of work.
It also found through its benchmarking tool that employers agree that outreach work:
- helps develop new talent pipelines (81 per cent).
- helps them support more young people into careers in their industry (87 per cent).
Providing career outreach opportunities helps build a domestic pipeline of talent that represents local community needs and supports economic growth.
Working with the education sector
Collaboration is a key factor in building the future health and care workforce. When NHS organisations work closely with schools and colleges, the next generation are more likely to be inspired to consider pathways into healthcare careers.
The recent Skills England report underpins this, highlighting that better integration across sectors improves employment chances and supports inclusive economic growth.
Our guide on making links between health and care and further education has been developed to demonstrate how sectors could work together and how to create a strong relationship to work collaboratively.
This framework, developed in partnership with Windsor Academy Trust, focuses on co-creating healthy futures through schools and health organisations. The initiative focuses on prevention and workforce development, recognising the role schools play in shaping lifelong health behaviours and career choices.
Career engagement in practice
Below are some examples of how organisations are embedding career outreach activities into their workforce strategies:
Examples of activity
| Outreach activity | Audience | Impact level | Measuring impact | Next steps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Careers talks and fairs | Primary and secondary school students, college/university students, job seekers | Broad reach - raise awareness of NHS careers but limited personal interaction |
| Invite to insight days |
| Workplace visits | Secondary school students, college/university students, job seekers | Moderate reach – offer an insight to the workplace through visits and simulation experiences |
| Participate in work experience programme |
| Networking with NHS ambassadors | Secondary school students, college/university students | Moderate reach – personal stories to help inspire and demystify myths |
| Career taster sessions |
| Teacher externships | Teachers and career advisors | Indirect but strategic – teachers become advocates for NHS careers |
| Supply curriculum linked resources eg Step into the NHS |
| Enrichment sessions | Secondary school students, college/university students, job seekers | Moderate reach – offer workshops to support individuals with interview and application techniques |
| Consider other curriculum linked activities |
| Work experience and internships | Secondary school students, college/university students, job seekers | Low reach but high engagement – offer structured practical experience |
| Consider volunteering opportunities |
| Mentoring and shadowing | Secondary school students, college/university students, job seekers | Low reach but high engagement – providing experienced professionals to guide and advise |
| Engage in other enrichment sessions |
| Online engagement | General public, students, teachers, parents | Broad reach – use social media and webinars to engage with wider audience |
| Direct engagement with relevant lead |
| Community events | General public, students, teachers, parents | Broad reach – participate in local events to raise general awareness |
| Direct engagement with relevant lead |
Health Careers offer a range of supporting resources for local career events and engagement activities to help organisations inspire the next generation and offer the careers information they need to make informed decisions.
In the guide there are useful resources and instructions on how these can be used. There are digital and printable materials which can be personalised for a unique experience.
Takeaway tips
Take away practical tips to support your own initiatives for increasing pre-employment engagement to build the future workforce, widen participation and support the 10 Year Health Plan by:
- engaging early as children can form stereotypes and biases that restrict their career aspirations from a young age
- locating your local careers hub to find out how they can support you
- putting a bespoke programme structure in place and make it personal for your organisation
- getting everyone on board from strategic senior leaders to operational colleagues on the ground
- being visible through publicising and sharing best practice to celebrate success
- working with relevant partners in your area to create viable pathways
- offering meaningful work experience opportunities that are flexible models across a breadth of roles to align to needs of the sector
- engaging parents and teachers so they can understand what is available to influence student decisions
- sourcing relevant funding streams available to generate more activity
- measuring impact and capturing data.
