A bold and innovative NHS apprenticeship programme, designed to tackle the Isle of Wight’s unique youth employment challenges, was crowned Best Educational Programme in the NHS at the HSJ Partnership Awards on Thursday 20 March 2025.
The Careers for Young People (CfYP) Programme, developed in partnership by HTP Apprenticeship College and Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust's Community and Mental Health Services on the Isle of Wight, offers 16- to 18-year-olds a direct route into a wide range of NHS careers.
The programme, which also won a Nursing Times Workforce Team of the Year award in 2023, begins with a six-month pre-apprenticeship, providing hands-on experience in clinical or business support services, followed by an 18-month apprenticeship with opportunities for further education and career progression.
Judges of the latest award praised the programme for its innovation and nationwide scalability, recognising its broader vision for social infrastructure. By establishing new NHS career pathways in clinical and business services through apprenticeships - with options for degree-level progression - it provides young people with valuable long-term career opportunities while addressing high youth unemployment.
One such young person, 18-year-old Kaitlyn Donovan, was also awarded Apprentice of the Year at the Isle of Wight Radio 2025 Best in Business Awards on Friday 21 March 2025.
"I’m incredibly grateful for the support I’ve received throughout my apprenticeship. The Careers for Young People Programme has helped me grow in confidence and discover my passion for speech and language therapy. Starting at 17 was scary, but it gave me the chance to explore different healthcare roles. Now I’m supporting stroke patients with their speech and communication and feel like a valued member of the team. I couldn’t have done it without the CfYP team and the acute speech and language team, and I hope more young people get the chance to benefit from this unique opportunity," said Kaitlyn.
Through the programme, young people have gained access to 44 different placement areas within the NHS, showcasing the diverse range of services they can explore to discover the career path that suits them best. 100% of leavers from the first cohort have secured employment, and so far, 43 young people have been through the programme, representing 4% of the Island’s Community, Mental Health and Learning Disabilities workforce.
Nicola Longson, Director of Transformation and Improvement at the Trust, and Founder of the CfYP Programme, expressed her pride in the programme’s achievements. She reflected on the journey from an initial idea that many doubted to a multi-award-winning initiative.
“We’ve proven that by investing in young people and supporting their development, we can build a sustainable workforce from within. This programme is a perfect example of how we’re tackling local employment challenges while also addressing the wider needs of the NHS. I’m particularly proud that we’ve made this real for young people in our community, giving them opportunities they might not otherwise have had. We’re also thrilled to have won the first award for our new trust,” she said.
Rachael Randall, CEO of HTP Apprenticeship College, said, "This incredible recognition – from the HSJ Partnership Awards to the Nursing Times win and Kaitlyn’s Isle of Wight Radio Award – highlights the real impact of the Careers for Young People Programme. It’s not just about awards; it’s about the opportunities we’re creating for young people on the Island. Through our partnership, we’ve seen a significant increase in full-time entrants into health and social care apprenticeships, helping to build a skilled and passionate workforce for the future of the NHS. We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved together and excited for what’s to come."
Looking ahead, the programme plans to expand beyond the NHS, with health and social care apprenticeships being introduced in the fourth cohort, for which recruitment is now finalising. The next steps involve rolling the model out to the mainland.
“The Careers for Young People Programme is the cornerstone of our strategy to grow our own future workforce. With its success on the Isle of Wight, we’re now looking to roll this model out to the mainland, expanding to include both health and social care. This will help create a sustainable pipeline of young talent for entry-level posts within the NHS and social care sectors. By continually evolving the programme based on feedback from our participants, we ensure it remains relevant and impactful, supporting the needs of the workforce and putting something back into our local communities,” said Nicola.
As the Careers for Young People Programme continues to grow, it remains committed to shaping the future of the NHS, health and social care by providing valuable career opportunities for young people and building a sustainable workforce for years to come.