Step Into the NHS

Teenagers urged that it's much, much more than doctors and nurses

Chat date: Wednesday 27th June
Chat time: 1300

With exams now ending, teenagers are inevitably thinking about their next steps, whether it's what A levels to choose, moving into higher education, or leaving school behind and starting on the first rung of their career ladder.

Young people want careers that suit their personality and natural talent, where they can do something different every day, work in places that value and invest in them, and use their skills to help other people.

But where do teenagers go for the best careers advice? The internet? Their family? Teachers? Careers advisors? And where do the advisors get their knowledge?

For many, help is now at hand. A new, free service, STEP INTO THE NHS, is being launched today.

Working for the NHS is much, much more than becoming a doctor or nurse. Incredibly there are over 350 different careers available in the NHS, and not all of them involve working directly with patients, but are equally as important, such as IT analysts, auditors, scientists, and even gardeners and chaplains.

www.stepintothenhs.nhs.uk has been designed to specifically engage with 14-19 years olds, stimulating them to think about ways in which their talents and skills can have a positive impact on the future of the NHS. STEP INTO THE NHS will also be a great source of information for anyone who wants to be able to offer good advice to any young person, whether it's a family member, or a student.

Young people are given a real insight into what goes on inside the NHS with case studies and short films from real staff, including 'Wildlife', which follows a young healthcare scientist through the hospital where she works; 'Ramp', a view of A&E through an injured skateboarder's eyes. There is also an interactive career mapper that will take them to the five careers that suit their interests and an opportunity to receive ongoing, personalised communication from the NHS Careers team that will support them in their future decision making .

But if you want the real inside track, then join careers advisor for NHS Careers, Alan Simmons who can tell you what the NHS really has to offer,

Alan will be online at here on Wednesday 27th June from 13.00-13.30 to answer your questions.