South London Health and Care Careers Fair

Over 250 job seekers and 30 employers from across south London attended the first joint South West London (SWL) and South East London (SEL) Academy Hubs health and care careers fair, last week.

Held at Croydon College, the event was also supported by both the SEL and SWL Integrated Care Systems (ICS), and organisers were delighted at the turnout from local students, other job seekers and employers across south London including NHS Trusts, social care providers and the London Ambulance Service.

The range of masterclasses and workshops offered at the event also proved very popular – with employers and former applicants sharing their advice and experience on topics including apprenticeships and boosting success with applications and interviews.

Attendees commented on a “buzzing” and “exciting” event – with 95% of respondents praising the knowledge and expertise of staff and presenters and 100% saying they would attend again. Others praised the “variety of the employers and educators” available and the support and advice on offer - with one delighted to already have, “an interview for Monday!”

Anisha Patel, Mayors Skills Academy Project Manager, NHS SWL said: “It was a sincere pleasure working with Croydon College to welcome students and also local people looking for jobs to the event. We envisioned an event that gave people practical support such as careers advice, education and training support, clinical simulation centre tours and access to live vacancies, but we also wanted to inspire people to consider careers in health and care. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and we’re hugely grateful to our inspiring and insightful speakers and excited to keep in touch with attendees so we can continue to support their next steps.”

Bach Luu Kaparia, SEL Health & Care Jobs Hub Manager said; “This event is a great example of what we can achieve with collaboration across our two systems. For most South Londoners as they travel between work or education and home, the borders of our boroughs are invisible. So, combining our resources to help showcase the huge array of job and training opportunities in our health and care systems makes lots of sense and we’re thrilled at the event’s success and very grateful to our attending employers, speakers and our fantastic hosts at Croydon College.”

Lawrence Coke, Social Care Academy Hub Coordinator for SWL said: “Events like these are essential for not only highlighting the spectrum of roles that are available in the health and social care sector, but they act as an opportunity to truly engage with potential candidates and answer some of the key questions around entry routes and training opportunities. The success of the event is a testament to the level of hard work from all the stakeholders involved and the genuine interest from potential candidates for a career in care.”

The SEL Health & Care Jobs Hub and SW London Social Care Academy Hub aim to support local people into work opportunities in health and social care and are funded by the Mayor of London’s Skills Academies Programme as part of the Greater London Authority’s (GLA) initiative to tackle unemployment, especially amongst underrepresented groups.