HSJ recognise that learning works

The Learning Works has today been announced as a finalist in the workforce category of the prestigious Health Service Journal (HSJ) awards.

Following a radical review of how vacancies at Sandwell, City and Rowley Regis Hospitals and Sandwell community health services are filled, including who fills vacancies and how to resolve issues surrounding unfilled hard to recruit to posts; The Learning Works project in Unett Street, Smethwick, was designed to sustain recruitment and succession planning to encourage local people into long term careers in the health service. 

Jim Pollitt, Head of Learning and Development said: “The Learning works is unique to the NHS in that it is a dedicated centre for helping the local community access employment opportunities in the NHS. The project is addressing hard to-fill-vacancies by attracting unqualified and unemployed local people into free to access Trust development activities and basic education signposting.

“The awards received over 1000 entries so we are extremely proud of the achievement.”  

Sessions are provided at the centre to assess the skills of job seeking individuals. The assessments are then used to identify development needs, support job searches, and provide interview preparation and self-marketing techniques for the individuals.

The centre signposts to other job related self-improvement locally, as well as offering support and direction on a range of work experience, apprenticeship, volunteering and adult learning opportunities in support of individual’s aspirations to become a member of the Trust’s workforce. 

Lawrence Kelly, The Learning Works centre coordinator said: “To date 66% of those undertaking work experience and pre-employment training with us are now in full time employment and 100% of apprentices have gone on to gain employment. It is these success rates that I feel have led to the Learning Works been shortlisted.”

The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on 19 November.