HRM Homecare, one of Scotland’s largest care at home specialists, has joined forces with youth charity the Prince’s Trust in Scotland to set up a new project aimed at encouraging more young people to consider a long-term career in care.
Five young adults aged between 16 and 30 were selected by the Prince’s Trust to spend four weeks training with the Kilmarnock-headquartered company at a range of its locations.
They were given free training on the skillset and qualities needed to be a carer, as well as other roles within a care company – from human resources to quality control.
The trainees – Nickelle Murray, Erin Lang, Lauren McCombe, Kayleigh Mackinlayand Nicola Scott – were recently joined by leaders from HRM Homecare to celebrate their graduation at the Prince’s Trust’s Wolfson Centre in Glasgow, and have also been offered the opportunity to take up a full-time position at the company.
HRM Homecare now hopes to run the project four times a year – helping more young people realise the career options that exist in the care at home sector, as well as providing a boost to HRM Homecare itself, which has more than 100 job vacancies it aims to fill after winning new contracts to provide care at home in both Falkirk and Lanarkshire.
“Over the four weeks, Nickelle, Erin, Lauren, Kayleigh and Nicola have learned very quickly what it takes to be a first-class carer, and we are absolutely delighted to offer them the opportunity to join our HRM Homecare family.
“HRM is determined to make a positive contribution in finding the next generation of highly-talented young people and we are delighted to have found an ally in the Prince’s Trust, which does excellent work with young Scots. The care at home sector is not only a huge provider of employment, it is a massive economic driver in Scotland today as our society continues to age. It also offers a wide range of valued and rewarding professions with various routes of progression open to those who are looking for a rewarding, long-term career.
“Through our joint project, we aim to show exactly how care workers can make a difference to those who need and greatly value support in their everyday lives. Not only that, they will be offered the opportunity to join a team at HRM Homecare that is dedicated to providing quality care services to those within our communities who are in need of extra care at home.”
Kate Still, country director for The Prince’s Trust Scotland, said: “We are delighted to have teamed up with HRM Homecare to provide this massive opportunity for Nickelle, Erin, Lauren, Kayleigh and Nicola.
“We have run such projects before with other care organisation and our Glasgow centre supports thousands of young people aged 13 to 30 across the Clyde Valley region and South West Scotland to live, learn and earn. But this project allows our east and west teams to work together to give even more young Scots an opportunity to forge a long-term career in the care at home sector.
“Together with HRM Homecare we can create a whole new generation of care sector workers as well as going a long way to solving the shortage of talent in the profession.”
Caption: From left, Julie Burns, HRM Homecare Training Manager, Nicola Scott, Erin Lang, Lynn Laughland, HRM Homecare Managing Director, Nickelle Murray, Lauren McCombe, Kate Still, Country Director for The Prince’s Trust Scotland, and Kayleigh Mackinlay
