The world for many young people is an uncertain place. Look around at the occupations many people carry out today. How many of those will exist in twenty years’ time? It’s hard to name any sector that can offer guaranteed long-term employment and progression.

One exception is care. While artificial intelligence or even robotics might affect some of what happens in the care sector, there will never be a substitute for the human interaction between care workers and clients. And if we know anything for sure in this world, it’s that the demand for care services will continue to grow as people live longer.

As such, we start with a significant and clear advantage when it comes to long term job security, and yet care is still seen as a ‘career of last resort’ for many young people and the churn rate of young people entering and leaving the sector remains high.

Recruitment Must Change

Part of the answer lies in better recruitment. There are several imaginative initiatives that aim to engage school age young people by, for example, getting them to experience how everyday life feels for somebody who needs care.

This can then usefully be followed up by recruitment processes that identify people with the right personal qualities such as empathy and respect. These are the people who will be motivated to work in care for the longer term.

Invest in Training and Development

The key thing young people want to see is a clear pathway through which they can develop their skills. It’s unlikely that we will ever retain people whose primary driver is salary. But some people are more interested in the self-esteem that comes with being a specialist in, for example dementia, diabetes or visual impairment.

Research shows that offering meaningful training and development that is matched to individual interests and motivation makes a major difference to retention. Investing in training and recognising success makes people feel valued. And maybe the care sector should be less apologetic about salaries and celebrate the fact that this is a great sector for people who want long-term job security and satisfaction to develop their skills and make a difference. Contact us today on 01823 332 200 to find out more about our bespoke training courses.