After a highly successful start in 2015, a scheme that offers disabled graduates paid work placements within the NHS has been rolled out for a second time. The scheme in Glasgow offers up to 22 university and college graduates two years of work experience in the health service, and assistance to secure a permanent job at the end of the placement too.
The programme started in 2015, and the first group of graduates have gone on to considerable success, with six accepted into full-time employment, one going onto a prestigious PhD course, and 16 are on placements. The initiative was started to try and break down some of the barriers that many disabled graduates face when they transition from education to the world of work. The programme is designed to introduce not just disabled candidates to the challenges of a working environment, but also to help their able-bodied colleagues become more familiar with working with disabled team members and to create a more level playing field for disabled candidates.
Tackling the barriers
Social Security minister Jeane Freeman met the latest intake, as well as graduates who have been helped by the scheme in Glasgow, and confirmed the government’s continued support of the programme. “We are committed to delivering transformational change in the lives of disabled people in Scotland. A key focus is tackling, head on, some of the barriers that prevent disabled people from gaining work experience which can lead to full-time professional careers,” she explained.
The NHS Professional Careers programme is specifically designed to provide graduates with the opportunity to make the transition from education establishments to the working environment, and to help them develop the skills that enable them to compete on an equal footing within the labour market. It also ensures that this is done in a supportive environment that encourages them to flourish.
Funded by the Scottish Government and NHS boards, it’s run by the Glasgow Centre for Inclusive Living Equality Academy. Not only does it provide potentially life-changing opportunities for disabled graduates, but it is a further demonstration of the Scottish government’s commitment to breaking down the barriers that disabled people face in all aspects of their lives. The programme helps disabled graduates to pursue careers that might otherwise be blocked to them, and also demonstrates to employers that disabled candidates are just as capable of performing in challenging working environments, and delivering outstanding results, too.
Enriching and inspirational
Candidates who have taken part in the programme have found it to be enriching and inspirational, as well as opening doors for future employment. By having work experience as well as qualifications on their CV, disabled candidates can hold their own in a competitive marketplace, and demonstrate to potential employers that they can make the transition from education to the workplace with ease.
The future of the programme looks assured, and it is hoped that many more disabled candidates will benefit from it in the years to come.
