Beyond the Whitepaper: Build Early Talent Pipelines Through Schools and Colleges

 

By James Swaffield, Chief Executive of Paragon Skills.

Beyond the Whitepaper 

A deeper dive into the insights from our latest report 

Securing the future of the adult social care workforce requires a long-term approach to attracting talent. The importance of this challenge was reinforced recently by Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who highlighted the need for stronger career pathways, training and progression opportunities to build the future social care workforce.

In our recent whitepaper, The Adult Social Care Challenge: Attracting Young People into the Workforce, sector leaders came together to discuss how care providers can better engage younger generations and create sustainable workforce solutions.

Those discussions resulted in six clear priorities designed to support workforce growth and resilience. In this blog series, I am exploring each priority in greater detail.

 

The third priority starts with awareness: Build Early Talent Pipelines Through Schools and Colleges

If young people don’t see social care, they won’t choose it

Many young people leave school or college without ever considering a career in social care. Not because they have actively ruled it out, but because they have never been introduced to it as an option.

While professions such as teaching, healthcare and engineering are commonly promoted through education pathways, social care often receives far less visibility. As a result, young people can make important career decisions without understanding the opportunities available within the social care sector.

This was reflected in the findings from our whitepaper, which showed that only 18% of employers surveyed had partnerships with colleges, while just 27% offered work experience placements. However we also saw great examples of providers working closely with schools and colleagues to raise awareness of careers in Care.

 

“At Greensleeves, we see caring as a vocation built on respect, openness and responsibility. We welcome young people with the right values and support them to help older people live with dignity, choice and independence. Through placements, activities and learning, we build confidence and commitment to care, supported by strong links with schools and colleges. Clear career pathways offer qualifications, skills and long term opportunities for growth in care”

– Susan Harris, Learning and Development Manager, Greensleeves

 

Building stronger links with education

Creating a sustainable workforce pipeline means engaging with young people before they enter the job market.

Care providers have a valuable opportunity to build relationships with local schools, colleges and academy trusts; helping students gain a clearer understanding of what a career in care can offer.

Activities such as careers fairs, classroom talks, workplace visits and work experience placements can all play an important role in raising awareness. However, the most effective approach is one that is ongoing rather than occasional.

Instead of one-off engagements, providers should focus on creating lasting partnerships that keep social care visible throughout a young person’s education journey. Showing the reality of a career in care

One of the challenges facing the sector is that many young people only see care roles at face value. What they often don’t see is the breadth of opportunities available or the long-term careers that can be built within the sector.

From supporting independence and improving wellbeing to developing leadership skills and specialist expertise, a career in care can be both purposeful and rewarding. By sharing real stories from employees who have progressed through the sector, providers can help young people see social care for what it is: a profession that offers both purpose and long-term opportunity.

It was great to hear the Prime Minister highlight the amazing impact that Care workers have on peoples lives and we welcome his call to strengthen progression routes within social care, helping young people see the sector as a profession where they can develop skills, build expertise and advance their careers over time.

Social care offers clear progression pathways into senior care, specialist and management roles, supported by training, qualifications and professional development. At the same time, it provides something many young people are actively looking for: meaningful work that makes a genuine difference to people’s lives.

 

Making apprenticeships part of the conversation

The whitepaper identified apprenticeships as one of the sector’s most significant untapped opportunities for attracting young people into care.

For many school and college leavers, care apprenticeships [link to course page] provide a clear and accessible route into employment, combining practical experience,

recognised qualifications and the opportunity to earn while they learn. They offer a structured starting point for young people while helping employers develop talent from the very beginning of an individual’s career.

By promoting apprenticeships and vocational pathways through schools and colleges, providers can create clearer entry routes into the sector and help young people understand how they can build a rewarding long-term career in care. As individuals progress, apprenticeships can also support further development into senior, specialist and leadership roles, helping providers build a stronger pipeline of future talent.

 

Building Tomorrow’s Workforce

Addressing workforce challenges in adult social care requires more than filling today’s vacancies. It means investing in tomorrow’s workforce. As national discussions around social care reform continue, there is growing recognition that attracting more young people into the sector must form part of the long-term solution.

The young people who could become the sector’s future care professionals, team leaders and registered managers are sitting in classrooms and colleges today. If the sector wants to attract them, organisations need to start the conversation earlier.

Building early talent pipelines is about more than recruitment. It’s about raising awareness, changing perceptions and creating clear routes into meaningful careers. By strengthening links with education, providers can help ensure that the next generation views social care for what it truly is: a profession full of purpose, opportunity and long-term potential. As conversations about the future of social care increasingly focus on workforce development, progression and skills, building those connections with schools and colleges has never been more important.

 

Next in this blog series, I will explore the fourth priority area; focusing on how effective onboarding, apprenticeships and early-career support can help young people thrive in the sector.