There are lots of ways into careers in health and social care, even if you don’t have a degree, A Levels, or the relevant qualifications and experience. The most important thing is that you develop the right skills, knowledge, behaviours and values.
How do you do this? There are lots of ways into roles in health and care. You could get in to the sector through work experience, T Levels, further education, volunteering, employability programmes and apprenticeships (among others).
Below you can see an example of how these options can be developed into a pathway that could lead you to a fulfilling, engaging, lifelong career.
Remember, there are over 350 careers available across health and care that fall under multiple sectors - primary care, community care, secondary care, tertiary care services and the care sector. The possibilities are endless.
Functional Skills
Most health and care employers will require you to have functional skills in maths and english as a basic entry requirement. This also applies for many apprenticeships.
How do I find an accredited functional skills course?
Your local FE College, Adult Education Service or independent training provider should be able to help. Visit our Partners page to find out what colleges and training providers are in Kent and Medway and the links to their websites. There is also the option to find accredited courses, including free functional skills courses delivered online. Search functional skills through your search engine to learn more or visit the National Careers Service website.
Employability programmes
These are pre-employment programmes usually aimed at specific groups, for example, 16 to 24-year-olds not in education, employment or training, young offenders, or young carers. While the criteria may differ, they usually include an element of training and work experience to help people develop their employability skills.
To find out about the health and care careers Employability Programmes available in your area, contact your local Job Centre.
Work experience
This can be an ideal way for those not sure what they want to do, or which sector they want to work in. The length of the work experience can vary from ‘taster’ sessions lasting just half a day through to one or two weeks.
You can usually arrange work experience through your school. If you are not in school or are a teacher/Headteacher looking for more information, you are welcome to contact the Academy Inbox for more information via the "Get In Touch" section at the bottom of the page.
T-Levels
Introduced in 2020, this is a 2-year course that provides a Level-3 technical education route as an alternative to A Levels for 16 to 19-year-olds. They are the equivalent to 3 A Levels and include a work placement where you can experience a heath and care environment and learn from those doing the job.
You can find out more about T Levels and which courses are available near you through the Government T Level page or through your school.
Schools Engagement
Health and Care Ambassadors can engage with local schools and colleges and share information or interactive sessions about what it is like to work in Health and Care.
To find out more about Health and Care Ambassadors and how to arrange for one of our excellent ambassadors to visit your school or organisation, visit our Get Involved page.
Return to Practice
These programmes are aimed at previously registered professionals and aim to update their skills and knowledge to facilitate a return to practice; they typically last between one and 12 months. NHS England runs return to practice programmes.
From 2020, nurses and midwives who are looking to return to practice can do a test of competence instead of doing a return to practice course. This is an alternative route back on to the Nursing and Midwifery Council register.
If you live in Kent and Medway and are looking to return to practice, you can find out more information about the local offer here.
Apprenticeships
These are suitable for people who like to learn on the job, and you get paid while you do so. Apprenticeships will take one to five years to complete, and anyone over the age of 16 can do them. You will split your time between a training centre or college and getting real, practical experience on work placements. You will also have the opportunity to gain qualifications in English and Maths if you do not already have these, and upon completion of your apprenticeship, you will gain a competence qualification relevant to the level of apprenticeship you undertake.
There are different levels of apprenticeships.
- level 2 - equivalent to GCSEs
- level 3 - equivalent to A-levels or a T Level
- levels 4 and 5 - equivalent to a foundation degree and above
- levels 6 and 7 - equivalent to a full bachelor’s or Master’s degree
- Entry requirements will depend on the employer and the type and level of apprenticeship.
To find out what Apprenticeship opportunities are available near you, you can visit the NHS Jobs webpage or go directly to an employing organisation's website. You can find links to many of Kent and Medway's health and care employing organisations on the Partners page.
Higher education
If you are interested in a particular, skilled career, there are hundreds of higher education courses at college and university that can help you to achieve the relevant qualifications. Examples of this are:
- Registered Nursing Degree
- Allied Health Professional Degree (Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Speech and Language Therapy)
- Digital, IT or Technology Degree
- Healthcare Science Degree
- Pharmacy Degree
- Diagnostic Radiography Degree
Kent and Medway is home to many local colleges, universities and a medical school. To find out about some of the further education options, you can visit the Kent Further Education partnership page.
International recruitment
This is the process of supporting experienced overseas staff to join the workforce.
Candidates will need to obtain professional registration and language competence based on their role for working in the UK.
Many employing organisations offer pastoral support services to help overseas recruits become accustomed to the culture, structures and policies of UK Health and Care Services, and support them to become integrated in the local community.
Skilled employment
Enter directly into skilled employment in the health and care sectors; in administration, a clinical role, or many others. This will be dependent on your level of qualification. You could go into an entry-level role and work your way up the career ladder by gaining experience and skills, or even take a higher-level apprenticeship to develop further qualifications.
Some entry-level clinical roles, such as the healthcare support worker, will require you to have functional skills in English and Maths and the employing organisation will support you to gain your Care Certificate.
Find out more
If you would like more information about the options for pathways into specific roles eg: Nursing, Physiotherapy, Pharmacy, then you can contact the Academy using the form below.