Wombwell Hall Care Home and Northfleet girls and boys school collaborates to launch a work experience programme
A pioneering work experience programme initiated by Wombwell Hall Care Home, in collaboration with Northfleet School for Girls and Boys, is setting the stage for a potential apprenticeship scheme within the Belmont Healthcare Group.
This innovative programme, which began this month, is aimed at students interested in hands-on learning and practical career pathways in the healthcare sector.
The initiative involves students working at the Care Home on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, where they engage in various departments such as administration, catering, horticulture, facilities management, and health and wellbeing activities.
Each department offers a unique opportunity for students to acquire practical skills and insights into the day-to-day operations of a care home, whilst providing the opportunity to experience working in an area pupils may wish to develop further.
Claire Skinner, Manager at Wombwell Hall Care Home says: "It’s about giving these young learners a real-world context for their skills and preparing them for future real-life roles in work.” Claire emphasised that the work experience initiative is a hopeful precursor to establishing a full apprenticeship programme.
The work experience programme is designed to last 12 weeks with a six-week review and assessment of unit progress. Upon completion of the full programme participants will be invited to attend an official certificate presentation at the College joined by family, their peers and teachers to mark their achievement.
The care home and schools hope this initial interaction will lead to a formal apprenticeship scheme, offering students a pathway to employment within Wombwell Hall Care Home and potentially other facilities within the BelmontHealthcare Group.
As the programme continues to develop, the partnership between the schools and the care home is seen as a model for developing practical career education providing a strong foundation for the future benefiting the broader healthcare industry in Northfleet and beyond.
