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• Place-based example: Derby & Derbyshire ICB and Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent ICS are delivering blended virtual and in-person placements to reach young people from disadvantaged backgrounds by working in partnership with regional Careers Hubs to create inclusive and scalable models that deliver against their needs. This multiple and progressive approach allows for hidden professions and pathways to be exposed. Employers across the sector are inspiring students into priority professions including mental health, AHPs, and healthcare sciences. Outreach is also able to target interventions to raise awareness of new pathways outlined in Fit for the Future, such as nursing apprenticeships, which require increased awareness if they are to be resourced within plans (awareness of apprenticeships for those interested in the sector is –2%pts below national average).  

• Many Trusts, such as Buckinghamshire NHS Trust, have built school and community outreach into the heart of their workforce planning based on recognition that when young people are supported onto the right pathways, with the necessary skills, they see positive effect on retention. These skills are also transferable, with Gloucestershire NHS Trust triaging learners into essential local care roles instead of over-subscribed areas of the NHS.  In line with social value frameworks seen in other priority sectors, the 10-year health plan should consider embedding ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì’s Modern work experience framework (currently piloting the governments national guarantee) as a core foundation - to ensure quality, equity and alignment with government ambitions. 

ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì data shows significant gendered disparities in interest with 31% of girls showing interest and only 9% of boys. The reorientation of the health system requires a diverse, representative, workforce with the capabilities required to drive change in every community. Teachers are key influencers in shaping young people’s skills development and aspirations, yet a core barrier is that many lack up-to-date understanding of skills needs. Careers Hubs are connecting NHS employers into local government and facilitating first-hand exposure for the local teaching workforce into NHS environments. This is enabling educators to embed accurate careers guidance and local LMI into their teaching – as part of a joined-up approach to Health Work and Skills Plans.  

• Place-based example: Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, through its BrigHT Futures strategy, engages more than 40 local schools and colleges in termly teacher visits and follow-up curriculum resources - directly linking teaching to healthcare careers. This intervention is a core part of the Trusts work as an anchor institution to engage the local community addressing social, economic and environmental priorities in order to reduce health inequalities. By working with local Government, NHS Trusts will continue to prioritise diversified routes into the sector, ensuring barriers are removed to the apprenticeship and vocational pathways required to meet the needs of the Industrial Strategy and Fit for the Futrue. 

• Expanding the sustained engagement all NHS employers have with schools will enable teachers to promote local career pathways and inspire students into new priority professions.  93% of employers with sustained relationships have said this has helped to develop new talent pipelines. Embedding these measures also ensures that the health service is working in tow with local government economic ambitions and is a vital consideration within local Get Britain Working Plans.  The 10 Year Workforce Plan should encourage all NHS employers to designate a pre-employment outreach function and use the ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì’s free Employer Standards tool to plan, deliver, and evaluate outreach. 

The modernisation of the health system requires a workforce with the skills required to drive productivity, encouragingly ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì data shows high essential skills proficiency amongst young people interested in the sector, allowing employers to target interventions at both those showing promise, and systematic gaps- which will prove vital in . Embedding NHS and social care pathways into the curriculum supports every young person to connect classroom learning with real-world achievable career prospects and develop the competencies needed to access them.  

• Place-based example: The Inclusive Careers Project, delivered in partnership by Humber & North Yorkshire ICB and Hull & East Yorkshire Careers Hub, integrates careers into the curriculum. It provides tailored guidance for young people interested in health & care careers, including those in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and alternative provision settings, while upskilling key influencers such as teachers, careers leaders, and parents. This has removed a key barrier many employers face, engaging diverse cohorts through work experience opportunities often restricted by logistical and safeguarding concerns. 

• Engagement with NHS employers and Careers Hubs has revealed opportunities to align education more closely with local economic plans. By embedding local skills needs into classroom learning, students (especially those from underrepresented backgrounds) gain a clearer understanding of the competencies required and pathways available. The 10 Year Workforce Plan can build on this best practice, including through a new NHS Employers pilot, delivered through Careers Hubs, to target diverse talent pipelines in the key roles required to fund the NHS transformation.