Great chance to get hospital work experience for over 14s | Latest updates

Kettering General Hospital (KGH) is putting in place a comprehensive series of exciting work experience events for young people interested in both clinical and non-clinical careers in healthcare.

Five two-hour events have been planned for March and April to give teenagers a valuable opportunity to meet members of hospital staff, take part in activities, find out about apprenticeships, and understand what qualifications are needed to get started in healthcare.

At all of the events young people will be able to handle and operate equipment and carry out procedures on amazing state-of-the-art simulation manikins in the same way that doctors and nurses do during their training.

Those taking part in the events will receive formal work experience certificates endorsed by the hospital which can be used by them to prove work experience needed for some university places.

Sheila Turner is Head of People Development for the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire NHS Group – which runs both Kettering and Northampton general hospitals.

She said: “This is a very exciting opportunity to gain valuable and accredited work experience and gain a real insight into what it is like to work in healthcare in all of its amazing diversity.

“During the pandemic we ran virtual online work experience events but this is the first time we have held such a comprehensive series of face-to-face events covering pretty much the whole spectrum of jobs in healthcare.

“Students will be able to meet the people who actually do those jobs, they will be able to see and handle some of the equipment they use, and they will be able to understand exactly what they need to do to be able qualify for those jobs in the future.”

The events being planned include:

Medicine Work Experience Event - 21 March - 6pm-8pm – A chance to meet some of the hospital’s doctors and learn about how to become a doctor, all of the different specialties available on qualification, and a chance to see how they are trained – using equipment in our simulation suite and clinical skills laboratories

Nursing and Midwifery Work Experience Event - 28 March - 6pm-8pm – Meet nurses, midwives, nursing associates and healthcare assistants and find out about all the opportunities now available in this field and how you can build up your career and progress. The event will include a chance to talk to education providers about the courses they offer.

Allied Health Professionals Work Experience Event - 26 April - 6pm-8pm – A chance to explore what it would be like to work in some of the 14 different Allied Health Professional Groups. These include areas such as paramedics, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, podiatrists, dieticians, radiographers and speech and language therapists.

Audiology Work Experience Event - Date to be confirmed – With more limited places this event will include a chance to see and use the equipment used to give hearing tests and balance tests and explore this fascinating field of vital importance to patients of all ages.

Non-Clinical Work Experience Event - 18 April - 6pm-8pm – This event will encompass some of the many other occupations and career ladders available in the NHS including hospital management, administration, finance, human resources, communications, marketing, library, digital and information technology, estates (including tours of areas not accessible to the public) portering, catering and sterile services.

Sheila said: “We hope these events will help students to see just how varied and rewarding working in healthcare can be. Some of the students who attend these events may well end up working at our hospitals or elsewhere in the sector so there is also a great benefit to the NHS in putting these on.”

Spaces at the different events, available to all students aged 14 and up, will vary but maximum capacity at events will be about 120 so it is important for people to book early to reserve their place.

Bookings are online and now open on KGH's Work Experience page.