By Isle of Wight Observer
Hampshire & Isle of Wight NHS Foundation Trust and HTP Apprenticeship College have been honoured with the prestigious King’s Award for Enterprise, recognising their Careers for Young People (CfYP) programme. They are among just 197 organisations nationwide to receive this accolade.
Developed to address the Isle of Wight’s youth employment challenges, the CfYP programme offers 16 to 18 year olds a direct route into a range of NHS careers. A collaboration between the two organisations, the initiative received the award in the ‘promoting opportunity’ category.
Since welcoming its first cohort in 2022, the programme has already won the Nursing Times Award and the HSJ Partnership Award.
The King’s Award for Enterprise, the UK’s most prestigious business award, allows recipients to use its emblem for five years.
Nicola Longson, director of transformation and improvement at the trust and founder of CfYP, said: “By investing in young people, we’re building a sustainable workforce and tackling local employment issues. I’m proud we’ve created real opportunities that might not have existed otherwise.
Rachael Randall, CEO of HTP, added: “This recognition highlights the meaningful impact we’re having; we’ve seen a significant rise in young people entering health and social care careers, helping shape a strong NHS workforce.”
Due to its success, there are now plans to expand the programme beyond the NHS and extend it to the mainland.
Rufus Pickles - Local Democracy Reporter