Category Archives: Job Opportunities

Healthcare, Job Opportunities, Jobs, News

Northampton healthcare charity launches scholarships to attract “talented” young people into mental health nursing

“Talented nurses of the future” are being offered scholarships to pursue a nursing career in mental health and learning disability.

St Andrew’s Healthcare in Northampton, the UK’s largest mental health charity and a provider of specialist care in mental health and learning disability, has launched a new nursing scholarship initiative.

The three-and-a-half-year programme is called ASPIRE Nursing and there are 10 scholarships available. It is aimed at 18-24 year olds who are passionate about a career in nursing and have the drive to attend university, but who do not have the financial support or qualifications needed.

Students will be provided with the equivalent of £9,000 worth of education, paid employment for 18 months and exposure to clinical work. They will also attend university and be given £18,000 per year in financial support while studying. Once they have gained their BSc (Hons) degree, they are guaranteed a staff nurse position at St Andrew’s Healthcare and will benefit from excellent career development and progression opportunities.

Students will join St Andrew’s as Healthcare Assistants, working within clinical settings to gain experience. They will complete a Certificate in Higher Education in their first year, which enables them to transition into the second year of a nursing degree either in mental health or learning disability nursing.

Ged Rogers, Clinical Education Manager at St Andrew’s, said: “This is an amazing opportunity for young people to start a career in mental health or learning disability nursing with a leading mental health charity that offers high-quality holistic services within outstanding facilities.

“With this scholarship, people can earn while learning on the job. It is ideal for those who may not have the A level grades they wanted, or those who missed out on opportunities due to the pandemic.

“Mental health and learning disability nursing are growing areas within healthcare with great career opportunities. We are looking for the talented nurses of the future to bring compassion and enthusiasm and become part of our healthcare teams, delivering brilliant care and helping transform the lives of our patients. We encourage young people who are ambitious and looking for an alternative route into nursing to apply. We will support our students at every step of the way.”

Candidates must have a good GCSE grade in Maths and English (Grade 4 minimum). The closing date for applications is Sunday, August 15, 2021. For more information click here.

The nursing scholarship is an extension of the hugely successful ASPIRE Programme which St Andrew’s Healthcare launched in 2016. It enables healthcare assistants to combine their learning and experience and jump straight into the second year of the University of Northampton’s Mental Health Nursing degree – allowing them to complete a nursing degree in just two years.

Former builder Simon Austin signed up to the ASPIRE programme after he decided to change his career. The 44-year-old, who is about to graduate and start his staff nurse position at St Andrew’s in September, said: “St Andrew’s is a great place to work with excellent facilities. It is very focused on training and helping people to progress. I started out as a healthcare assistant and never intended on becoming a qualified nurse. However, I did various training courses which built up my confidence academically, and then decided to take the next step in my career. It has been a fantastic opportunity for me.

John Barry Waldon has completed the ASPIRE programme and is now a senior staff nurse at St Andrew’s. For John, the programme was a second chance to have a career in nursing. Previously he went to university to study nursing but dropped out age 26 for financial reasons. He worked at St Andrew’s as a healthcare assistant for many years before starting the programme, which he describes as an ‘amazing opportunity’.

As part of his degree, John created a podcast called On the Ward featuring mental health patients. The podcast has attracted over 20,000 listeners and won The Student Nursing Times Awards 2020 for the best Student Innovation in Practice.

Another ASPIRE graduate is Amanda Gardner who qualified as a mental health nurse two and half years ago and now works at St Andrew’s Healthcare.

Amanda says, “After working as a healthcare assistant I was keen to progress my career. I worked alongside nurses at St Andrew’s who inspired and encouraged me to become a nurse. ASPIRE offered the perfect combination of the financial support and pastoral care. As a mature student, with a family to support, I couldn’t have funded myself through university. This was the ideal alternative route into nursing, and I qualified without any student debt or student loan which was a bonus for me.”

To find out about vacancies across Northamptonshire visit http://bestofbothworlds.uk.net/

Job Opportunities, News

New social enterprise is offering free support to those made redundant by Covid-19

Jobseekers can now receive free expert career coaching thanks to a new community enterprise.

The Pay it Forward Enterprise, based in Coventry, offers career advice, CV and cover letter writing as well as proofreading, interview practice and follow up support, all with a focus on improving the jobseeker’s confidence and mental wellbeing.

With over 800,000 people in the UK unemployed due to Covid-19, and the West Midlands hit particularly hard, bosses hope this will throw a lifeline to those who need it most.

The community project is supplying its services free of charge so is calling for corporate sponsors and donations from members of the public to fund the work.

Director and founder Rebecca Pay has been working in this field for more than six years through her company Pay for Precision and has put together a team of people who are all experts in coaching, mentoring and recruitment.

Their guidance is usually provided through a paid service, but the aim is to help people who have lost their job due to the pandemic.

Professionally qualified proofreader and CV writer Rebecca said: “2020 was a hell of a year and those who were made redundant have had a mountain to climb to get their confidence back and look for a job in a saturated market.

“As we come out the other side of this pandemic and opportunities increase we wanted to support those who need to get back into work with professional and kick-ass CV, and interview support and career coaching.

“We hope it will have a really positive impact on people’s mental health and make a big difference to their lives going forward.

“When you support this project, you are supporting UK jobseekers, your community, your economy and your neighbours.”

The enterprise has already successfully helped its first few entrants, who remarked on how unique and insightful they found the coaching.

Jobseeker Sarah Jooste said: “It was really good to focus our minds on how you can get to the desired outcome of the job search but also the importance of being mentally strong and resilient.

Paul, Gill, another user, who has since gone on to secure a position, added: “I would definitely say that it is a worthwhile coaching session to attend and would have no hesitation to recommend other job seekers to the Pay it Forward Enterprise CIC.”

Candidates must have been made redundant at some point since March 2020 and have proof of their redundancy, be a UK resident and agree to commit to the process, including group coaching sessions.

To get involved visit https://mailchi.mp/520d425421eb/c5z9nc6ja9 or email info@PIF.org.uk

For those interested in corporate sponsorship visit https://mailchi.mp/a7289cf8a251/payitforwardenterprise

Job Opportunities, Jobs, News, Retail

M&S COMMITS TO HELPING YOUNG PEOPLE IN CARDIFF INTO WORK BY BACKING GOVERNMENT KICKSTART SCHEME

M&S Culverhouse Cross is taking applications for a newly launched work placement programme to enable young people, aged 16-24, to gain valuable experience to help them onto the career ladder.

Supporting the UK Government’s Kickstart programme, M&S has created 360 work placements across the breadth of the country.

The programme will be run in partnership with The Prince’s Trust – M&S’s long-standing employability and Sparks charity partner. The first Kickstart cohort of 180 placements across 30 Regional Academy stores including six placements delivered in Cardiff in April.

A second cohort – again running across the country – is set to run in June 2021.

The Kickstart colleagues will join M&S Culverhouse Cross as Trainee Customer Assistants for the six-month placements rotating across Foodhalls, backstage operations, hospitality and Clothing & Home departments. As well as gaining retail experience, the programme will also develop their communication and digital skills and confidence in the workplace – equipping them with key tools to support their future career journey.

Neil Enoch, Store Manager at M&S Culverhouse Cross said: “As one of thirty Regional Academy stores, we are delighted to be involved in the Kickstart programme to support young people gain valuable experience to further build employability and life skills longer term. Whilst the last twelve-months have been particularly challenging for young people in particular, we look forward to welcoming the first cohort to our team in April and supporting them on their career journey.”

Frances Milner, Director of Fundraising, The Prince’s Trust said: “We’ve been working in partnership with Marks & Spencer for more than 16 years and in that time have helped more than 9,000 young people to develop their confidence and skills for work. We are pleased to be expanding this partnership, particularly at this time, when we know young people are disproportionately affected by rising unemployment and ongoing disruption to education and training opportunities. Together with Marks & Spencer, we can offer more young people the chance to build their skills and start work, so that they can feel positive about their futures despite any challenges they may be facing.”

M&S has a long-standing history of providing employability opportunities through its Marks & Start scheme. Since 2004, together with partners including The Prince’s Trust, M&S has supported over 9,000 young people, to find an accessible route into work through the programme. Additionally, M&S offers a range of early careers opportunities with roles across its business – including apprenticeships, school leaver programme and its graduate scheme.

Following the Kickstart placements, M&S aims to support colleagues to apply for permanent opportunities where available across its stores. All Kickstart colleagues will be paid in line with current in-store pay levels.

Applications for the April cohort are now open at Jobcentre Plus locations across the UK.

Construction, Job Opportunities, News

Rebuilding Britain: Construction and engineering strengthen UK’s job market

While the decline in overall vacancies dampens the initial optimism noted as some businesses re-opened at the beginning of the month, the week ending 14th June still reported the second highest number of weekly vacancies since the beginning of April. This is indicative of the increased demand for staff as more companies attempt to get back on track as lockdown restrictions ease.

London reported the greatest uptick in new vacancies, with 37% of all new jobs added last week based in the capital. This rise is perhaps unsurprising as more London firms seek more staff to fill resourcing gaps where employees are unavailable to return to work.

Construction and engineering bolstering UK vacancies

According to Broadbean Technology’s data, construction and engineering reported some of the biggest increases in new vacancies week-on-week, up 16% and 10% respectively. Of all new roles added during this period, the two sectors accounted for 29% of the UK’s hiring. This is in line with reports from Build UK which revealed at the end of May that 86% of construction sites in the country had reopened, with more planning to follow suit. With the sector already noting a skills shortage prior to Covid-19, this dearth of talent has been exacerbated by the number of staff unable to return to sites, pushing demand for new hires up.

Alex Fourlis, Managing Director at Broadbean Technology commented

“While there has been a slight dip in vacancies across the UK, the fact that numbers remain towards the top level of figures reported since lockdown began is reassuring. There will be peaks and troughs of hiring as organisations begin reopening and find themselves in need of new staff due to those lost to the business in recent months and any unable to return to work. For sectors like construction and engineering, we expect to see a continued growth in demand for employees as businesses increasingly struggle to get enough people on-site to meet the growing demand.”

Job Opportunities, Marketing, PR and SEO

Aegon UK kicks off search for marketing talent of the future

Aegon UK has started its latest talent search for graduates looking to start their careers in marketing.

The company is looking for exceptional talents who will have graduated from university in the last two years with a 2:1 degree or above.

The job advert states that they must have with the ability to learn quickly in a fast-moving industry.

The opportunity to join the Aegon marketing team in Edinburgh promises to provide them with the support they need to grow their career and achieve their goals.

The successful marketing graduates will then join a creative, driven team dedicated to finding creative solutions and innovative ways of working.

They will spend two years with the business and undertake four, six month placements within different areas of marketing and will have the opportunity to have one placement out with Marketing. At the end of this time they will gain a Certificate in Professional Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM).

The closing date for applicants is 16 March 2020.

Gill Scott, HR Director at Aegon UK comments:

“Aegon’s marketing graduate scheme launched in 2018 and has been a great success. It’s a fantastic chance for Aegon to invest in the marketing talent of the future and introduce a new generation to the workings of the financial services industry.

“Our apprenticeships and this graduate recruitment programme form an integral part of the wider plans to grow, develop and nurture talent at Aegon.

“We’re committed to creating an inclusive and diverse workplace that’s attractive to a wide range of people with the skills, ideas and energy to match.”

Victoria Baird joined as a marketing graduate in 2018. She has some advice for anyone considering applying:

“Marketing is a broad term which covers many different elements; it isn’t just about advertising, branding, social media and all the ‘shiny’ things you may associate with it. Be prepared and make sure you’re aware of what’s entailed; for example, you’ll learn about strategy, market research and customer experience – which are all valuable in helping you become a successful marketeer.

“As a Graduate, I didn’t expect to be involved in such a range of interesting projects which help shape the future of the business; it has been challenging but most definitely rewarding as it’s pushed me to achieve my upmost potential. I’ve learned new skills, built a strong network and turned my weaknesses into strengths. The marketing graduate programme is a fantastic and valuable opportunity to kick-start your career!”

Gavin Ramage who joined as a marketing graduate in 2018 comments:

“The marketing graduate scheme is an absolute fantastic place to start a career within marketing and financial services. It has provided constant opportunities to try new roles, learn new skills and meet new people. The scheme has helped me understand what elements of marketing I’m passionate about, while also putting me in positions of real responsibility where I’m relied upon as a valued member of a wider and hugely talented team.”

Gavin’s tips for anyone applying are:

“Read up on all the latest news within the pension and platform world. You’ll be able to find articles on what new legislation is coming into action, how well consumers are preparing for retirement, the importance of advice and advisers – and from that, you’ll quickly understand the opportunities and challenges we’re trying to solve.”

For full job information please visit: https://transamerica.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/AUK_JobSite/job/Edinburgh-UK/Marketing-Graduate-Consultant_R20028172