New free Pathway to Care course for next generation of healthcare workers
The course will help school leavers learn skills and build experience before starting a professional qualification
Healthcare technology company Florence has launched its Pathway to Care course, helping young people considering a healthcare career begin their learning early.
The course is free and has been designed to assist school leavers aged 15 to 19 learn key skills and build experience ahead of starting a Care Certificate or nursing degree.
It has 11 modules on the basics of adult social care, which can be completed at their own pace, with a certificate on completion.
Recent statistics show that the NHS has a vacancy rate of 11.8 per cent, naturally having a subsequent impact on the quality of care. A study of nurses and care assistants by Florence found over half (53 per cent) of healthcare professionals are calling for more sustainable long-term plans for the future of the NHS. Furthermore, two in five (46 per cent) state an increase in training grants is needed to support more people into the industry overall, helping close the gap between staffing levels and vacancy rates.
Dr Charles Armitage, former NHS doctor and CEO and Founder of Florence, said: “The pathway to care programme starts to solve the long-term problems that the health and social care industry is facing.
“It takes years to effectively train healthcare professionals. We need to plan effectively, with long-term solutions to the growing vacancy rate and wait times – this programme does that. Our Pathway to Care will introduce the adult social care sector to anyone who is interested in working in care, and begin to fix the long-term problems of low staffing levels.”