Oldham people facing barriers to work given helping hand

Positive Steps

Seventy Oldham people facing additional barriers to gaining a job have started an exciting journey which aims to prepare for and find them an apprenticeship in the local area.

Northern Care Alliance NHS Group, Oldham Council and Positive Steps have joined forces to gain £100,000 funding from Greater Manchester Combined Authority as part of the Removing Barriers project.

Around 40 young people aged 16-25 who experience barriers to accessing an apprenticeship have already been invited to a one-day session to find out more about the scheme which will ultimately lead to ten of them getting work in healthcare assistant or customer service roles for the Northern Care Alliance NHS Group, which runs the Royal Oldham Hospital as well as community services across the Borough. This will lead to pre employment opportunities and 10 new apprenticeships for young people.

The second project will support adults aged over 18, living in the Coldhurst ward in Oldham, and are either single parents, BAME residents, those with learning disabilities/ learning difficulties or mental health conditions. 

Thirty residents will be able to access the programme with 10 people securing apprenticeships in healthcare assistant and business administration roles at Royal Oldham Hospital. 

All those who are not chosen for an initial apprenticeship will be supported into other opportunities again with the Northern Care Alliance, who also are also responsible for healthcare in Salford, Bury and Rochdale across hospital and community settings.

Oldham Council leader Sean Fielding, said: “It is great that Team Oldham has been able to gain funding for those most in need to help remove barriers to gaining an apprenticeship

“Expanding apprenticeship opportunities enables people to find full time work, while also giving them the necessary skills to develop their careers. Apprenticeship placements and job opportunities should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their background and it is great in Oldham we are leading the way.”

Donna McLaughlin, Director of Social Value Creation for Northern Care Alliance, said: “We are very excited to be working with partners across our local health and social care systems to improve pathways to good employment within the NHS.

"We are proud to be able to offer secure employment opportunities and progression at a time when some sectors are obviously struggling and opportunities for young people are significantly reduced.

"We are committed to addressing some of the pre-existing racial and socio-economic inequalities that have been amplified and in fact worsened by the COVID -19 pandemic, by removing some of the barriers that exist and helping to provide the right opportunities to local people.

Positive Steps is a charitable trust that delivers a range of targeted and integrated services for young people, adults and families.

Paul Axon - Director Young People's services for Positive Steps said: “We are proud of our role in delivering this vital programme to improve apprenticeship and training opportunities for young people in Oldham.

"The opportunity to gain an apprenticeship in the health sector is a great incentive for young people to fulfil their potential and move into rewarding careers. Now more than ever we can all see how vital developing a pipeline of future talent and skills in the health sector is.”