Hospice Highly Commended at Careers Excellence Awards

Pendleside Hospice was given the Highly Commended title in the Small or Medium Employer of the Year category at the Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) Careers Excellence Awards 2019. The annual awards ceremony celebrated the work of schools, colleges, businesses and careers professionals, shining a light on best practice to inspire and prepare young people for success in the world of work.

 

Pendleside’s executive team is committed to working with schools and colleges to deliver careers programmes and support the development of children and young people, with the hospice chief executive Helen McVey becoming an enterprise adviser for Thomas Whitham Sixth Form in Burnley.  With Helen’s support, Thomas Whitham was one of the first schools in Burnley to set up speed networking and now this is embedded in the school curriculum here and across many other schools in the Burnley and Pendle community.

 

The hospice also supports work experience placements for all schools and colleges in the local area, as well as facilitating mock interviews, workplace visits and supporting the curriculum where possible.  Helen said: “We recognise, as a business, that the young people of today are tomorrow’s employees and that’s why it’s so important to help them invest in their future careers now. “I actively encourage and enable all Pendleside staff, including board members, to support young people however we can. We deliver a wide range of opportunities to give young people interested in pursuing careers in health and social care invaluable experiences.

 

“Being named as Highly Commended in our category is a brilliant achievement for us, especially on a national stage. The judges even expressed an interest in travelling up to Pendleside to see how we’re successfully engaging with young people.”

 

Pendleside Hospice was one of more than 200 nominations accepted for the 12 categories, with winners announced at the Royal Society of Chemistry in London.

 

Claudia Harris, chief executive of the Careers and Enterprise Company, said: “The organisations and individuals recognised are setting the bar in careers provision across England and changing the lives of the children they work with.

 

“We are delighted to be able to celebrate their work and look forward to seeing their continued impact in the years ahead.”