An innovative week-long event to showcase the diversity of careers and pathways into health and social care has been launched in Chesterfield.
‘Careers that Care’ week, a series of virtual events organised in partnership with Derbyshire Voluntary Action’s (DVA) Community Chesterfield project, the University of Derby and Joined Up Careers Derbyshire, will take place from 21 to 25 June.
The event, which is funded by the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Collaborative Outreach Programme (DANCOP), will feature opportunities for attendees to watch videos from people playing crucial roles in the region’s health and social care sectors, allowing them to find out more about what they do in the role day to day and where the career could take you. These will include disability support worker, radiography and podiatry.
The videos will be available to watch on YouTube prior to the event and those attending the event are invited to post questions for the expert via the comments section under each video. These questions will then be answered during live Q&A sessions throughout the week, equipping delegates with knowledge about what it is like to work in that field.
The week will culminate in a live panel discussion, with special guests from the University of Derby, Derbyshire Voluntary Action, Joined Up Care Derbyshire and Chesterfield Borough Council.
Toby Perkins MP, Labour MP for Chesterfield and Shadow Minister for Further Education and Skills, will introduce the panel. Attendees will be able to watch Question Time-style discussion via a live stream.
The panel will be looking at the big picture of health in the local area, the barriers and strengths within the sector and their thoughts on what individuals can do to support through both community action and careers in health and social care.
Charlotte Repton, project manager at Community Chesterfield, which links the skills, knowledge and experience of Chesterfield’s voluntary and community sector, said: “We’re really pleased to be working with Joined Up Careers on this event, which will promote the variety of roles available across the NHS and public sector and highlight why people should choose these sectors as a career path.
“Our role at Community Chesterfield is to bring the University and community together to create a resourceful, experienced and knowledgeable health and social care sector in the area, as well as creating learning and personal development opportunities for students. This event should help to do just that.”
Careers that Care is open to anyone from Chesterfield and surrounding areas with an interest in health and social care, but will be of particular interest to young people at the point of making a decision about their career or to individuals who might be considering a career change.
It will also benefit parents or teachers who are supporting a young person to make decisions about their career and current students who wish to find out about the range of careers their studies could lead them to.
For more information visit www.careersthatcareweek.org.