Funded traineeships offered to five Devon teens in Exeter

A Health & Social Care training centre is working in conjunction with Devon County Council to provide a unique opportunity for five young people from Devon to take up traineeships and earn apprenticeships with health and social care employers.

Venus Training & Consultancy has secured placements with some of the region’s leading healthcare employers in Exeter for five 16-18 year olds. The voluntary work placements are for three days a week for six weeks during the months of February and March, with a view to the young people being taken on as an apprentice at the end.

Venus specialises in Health and Social Care covering both Devon and Cornwall. Services offered include Dementia, Epilepsy, First Aid, Infection Control, Childcare, Nutrition and Hydration, End of Life Care as well as fully funded qualifications in Health & Social Care and Apprenticeship programmes. This scheme is aimed at NEET’s (Not in Education, Employment or Training) and offers a route to work, the offer of support and guidance from the consultancy and the chance to earn an apprenticeship.

The organisation is also appealing to young people to come forward if they think they are suitable for a placement in the health and social care sector.

Jane Kellas, a Director of Venus said:

“We are looking to recruit young people onto the programme, identifying them as a potential future apprentice and to very carefully match them to the businesses that have offered us the opportunities for placement. We have already successfully partnered five teenagers with some of the region’s biggest employers; we have five more to go. ”

The places are part of the Government’s Traineeship Scheme and with the support offered by Devon County Council can help provide additional money to further extend the opportunity that the scheme delivers.

Jane said:

“Venus will complete and pay for the young person’s DBS Checks, provide and pay for the young person’s uniforms and shoes, travel during the placement, a subsistence allowance for the young person to cover meal costs and will deliver a range of FREE courses to the young person during the six weeks programme. These courses can also be free to limited numbers of the employers own staff to attend.”

Places are filling fast and need to be completed by the end of March. Interested employers and young people are asked to contact Venus on 0845 2012300 or email jane.kellas@venustc.co.uk as soon as possible.