Partner Article

Tyneside partnership to meet skills challenge

Two of North Tyneside’s largest employers have joined forces in a bid to tackle the care industry skills shortage.

Tyne Metropolitan College (TyneMet), which employs around 300 staff, and Age UK North Tyneside’s EveryDay Home Care service have launched a new training programme to upskill workers in the healthcare sector and develop the next generation of industry talent.

Health and Social Care staff from EveryDay Home Care’s 200-strong workforce and Age UK North Tyneside Wellbeing Services will undergo a structured training programme that covers a range of disciplines including health and safety, medication awareness, customer service, food safety, nutrition and first aid.

The employees will study for a Health and Social Care Apprenticeship, which will combine on-the-job work experience with classroom learning at TyneMet. They will be given the chance to progress from a Level 2 qualification up to Level 5, which is suitable for staff who want to gain management experience.

The training will also benefit the influx of new recruits at EveryDay Home Care, which recently announced plans to add another 360 staff to its workforce within the next year.

The partnership with TyneMet comes as demand for homecare services is on the rise and providers are struggling to recruit suitably skilled staff. According to research by the Centre for Workforce Intelligence (CfWI), demand for healthcare workers could increase at twice the rate of population growth in the UK (0.6%) by 2035, with the number of required man hours rocketing by 36% to 12.2 billion in the same period.

Alma Caldwell, group chief executive at Age UK North Tyneside and EveryDay Home Care, said: “We recognise the importance of increasing the skills base of our workforce, particularly as there is a shortage of suitably qualified workers in our industry. That’s why we’ve teamed up with TyneMet College to upskill our current workforce and provide an opportunity for other aspiring care staff to make their way in the sector.”

TyneMet College offers a range of study options including Apprenticeships, Diplomas, BTECs and Foundation Degrees across a wide spectrum of subject areas including Health & Child Care, Business and Finance, Hospitality, Sport and Fitness and Creative Digital and Media Services. The organisation provides tailored training programmes that help local employers unearth new talent and plug skills gaps within their businesses.

Jon Vincent, principal and chief executive of TyneMet College said: “We are thrilled to be involved in this exciting project. We are working with the team at Age UK North Tyneside and EveryDay to identify their skills requirements going forward and have shaped a flexible package of learning around their needs.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Jez Davison .