6th March 2023

The Aspire programme has been running successfully in Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust for 10 years, in partnership with South Devon College. Students work on three different placements and complete a City & Guilds qualification in employability skills over the academic year.

This course is a supported internship and open to students who have an education, health and care plan (EHCP), are aged 18 – 24 and are keen to learn new and transferable skills and enable them to gain paid employment.

Several of the previous students have gone on to have permanent contracts within the organisation, and are great role models to each cohort; keen to share their journey with new groups. All students are working on placement again after these were initially stopped during the pandemic.

Current students include:

• Alex and Matthew are with the portering teams
• Liam in Waste management
• Becky in domestic services
• Megan in the linen room
• Amy on Louise Care ward
• Gracie working as a breakfast waitress in the Carlton Hotel, part of the local TLH group.

The programme is run by a tutor and job coaches, who support both in the classroom and on placement.

Thank you to the various departments, managers, supervisors and teams for their time, patience and mentoring. You provide these students with a truly fantastic opportunity.