Good practice - Birmingham and Solihull ICS Education Collaborative

School engagement is a priority for the Birmingham & Solihull Health and Social Care Access Faculty as it contributes to us securing and shaping an appropriate workforce for the future.

The team was invited to Small Heath Leadership Academy's careers event. The aim was to evaluate the efficacy of the digital NHS Health Careers offer and assess how students engaged with a digital initiative rather than paper-based resources. The event was expected to attract over 450 students, providing an excellent opportunity to observe how well the students engaged with this initiative.

A significant number of students visiting the NHS careers stand were aware of the role they wanted to do and needed advice on the next steps. Additionally, there were students who were uncertain but interested in gaining more information, as well as students who had not previously contemplated an NHS career. Upon learning about the diverse roles available, they were eager to learn more.

The registration page enabled students to access information quickly and easily at their discretion. Students attending the event showed high-levels of interest in learning about how to register and preferred to receive information by email rather than a physical booklet, which they said they might disregard. The additional benefit of the registration page was that it provides them with emails on NHS careers acting as a valuable reminder and prompt.

The event was really successful. It resulted in 101 students registering via the the registration page and signed up to receive career advice on their careers of interest by email. Teachers and students who attended the event also showed a high level of interest in registering, with teachers demonstrating saying it would be valuable for students.

Upon registering, students received additional information on the benefits of an NHS career including their chosen career paths, entry requirements, and testimonials from professionals in those fields. It also provides video content offering guidance on obtaining work experience and applying for employment or training opportunities. As it is digital, it allows for the continued promotion of NHS careers to students even after the event. It also allows us to measure the impact of our event as it's collected centrally by NHS Health Careers. 

With the NHS transitioning towards a more digital approach, this initiative has shown real success and will be really important for our future events. As a faculty, we intend to implement this approach at all school events we attend. 

Students said the following at the event:

• "The link is great and we can get information directly sent to us"
• "The link was very quick and easy to use"
• "I prefer electronic information to printed materials,"
• "The link was very straightforward to navigate"
• "I recommended the link registration to my friend to sign up."