Double awards success for NHS careers programme at a national ceremony

Kat Millmore-Davies spent a considerable part of her career at Priory School and now leads a careers programme for the NHS across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

She collected the awards on behalf the 350+ NHS Careers programme.Kat and her team, who have interacted with almost 40,000 children and young people at schools and education settings across the region since the start of the academic year last September, won ‘Best Careers Programme Pre-16 Education’ and ‘Innovative Employer Engagement Activity’ in the Career Development Awards.

As well as leading hundreds of in-school careers sessions, the team’s work has also included creating an operating theatre environment at Havant South Downs College, helping T Level and A Level students and school children see all the roles that go into a successful operation.

The 350+ NHS Careers Programme helps young people shape a future career in the NHS, regardless of their background or whether they will go to university.

Kat and her team visit schools and education settings to help shine a light on more than 350 different career choices, including the huge range of non-clinical roles like web developer, gardener, accountant, chef, architect and engineer.

Much of the team’s time is spent in settings for children with additional needs, including SEND schools and Pupil Referral Units, where young people are able to take part in a range of practical tasks. These include preparing a meal with NHS chefs or taking part in operating theatre tasks with surgeons and Operating Department Practitioners, including those from University of Portsmouth.

The judges said: ‘This project has the edge in terms of innovation, best practice and sustainability.

‘We were very impressed with how the project was raising awareness amongst both young people and teachers about the huge range of NHS careers and were proactively reaching out to marginalised groups.’Kat added: ‘I’m so proud of what the team have achieved in the short space of time since we launched the programme in September 2021, just as the pandemic was coming to an end.

‘We wanted young people to be able to imagine a career in the NHS, which had really grown close to people’s hearts during that time.

‘Our amazing teams are out working in schools, colleges and different education settings every week, bringing their roles alive for the children and young people.

‘A huge thank you to them and to all the NHS Trusts locally who work with us.’Hilary Todd, Director of the 350+ NHS Careers Programme, added: ‘The route from education to employment is so important for young people.

‘The work Kat and the team are doing with the 350+ NHS Careers Programme is helping to inspire the next generation to build a fantastic future in the NHS.’For more details, visit hiow350careers.nhs.uk/