As part of his regular visits across the Trust, our Chairman Professor Richard Scothon recently spent time with Widening Participation Ambassador Nikki Brodhurst, learning more about the impactful outreach and engagement work being led by #TeamCDDFT.
Nikki shared how the Trust is actively supporting local communities by inspiring young people to explore careers in health and care.
Over the past financial year alone, CDDFT has engaged with more than 12,000 students from primary and secondary schools, colleges, and universities.
This has included attending careers fairs, delivering talks and presentations, and hosting assemblies to help students think about their future and the wide variety of roles available in the NHS.
As part of our commitment to early careers development, we are also proud to continue our T-Level industry placement programme, offering meaningful experiences to students on pathways in Health, Health Science, and Midwifery.
Excitingly, we will soon welcome our first Digital T-Level student, who will be joining our IT department for their industry placement.
Nikki also hosts monthly online NHS Careers Information Sessions in partnership with the National Careers Service.
These sessions offer practical advice on navigating the NHS Jobs platform, insight into Nikki’s own career journey, and the chance for attendees to ask questions and explore different routes into the NHS.
Looking ahead, the team is busy preparing for next month’s Choices College Graduation - a special celebration recognising the achievements of the Class of 2025 who have completed their supported internship programme with the Trust.
This visit was a fantastic opportunity to highlight the positive impact of widening participation and early engagement, and to showcase the dedication of staff working hard to open doors and shape futures.
