1. Employing young people The business case
This title slide includes the option to add your name, job title and organisation. You may also wish to add your organisation’s logo.
ThinkFuture, a programme of work from NHS Employers, is designed to support you to bring more young people into your workforce. Further information is available at

2. The challenge Workforce supply (insert turnover figure)
An ageing workforce, with young people under-represented (insert age profile/retirement figures)
A diverse workforce will better match changing patient needs (insert age profile of workforce in comparison to local working community)
Use this slide to set the scene and explain the challenge facing your organisation in terms of workforce supply.
You may wish to include information from your own organisation here, for example staff turnover figures, retirement statistics and the age profile of your workforce in comparison to that of the local working community.

3. The challenge Discussion point
What are the existing attitudes to employing young people within our organisation?
Use this slide to talk through some of the existing attitudes and barriers to employing young people within your organisation.
For example, the CIPD report Employers: Learning to work with young people and feedback from NHS staff at a recent NHS Employers workshop has revealed a number of barriers to employing young people. These included:
employers being reluctant to take risks in employing someone with less or no experience and preferring the ease of recruiting someone who can hit the ground running
preconceptions about the negative attitude of young people
employers feeling there is too much work involved in recruiting and training young people, which has a negative effect on existing staff capacity and service delivery.

4. 5 reasons to employ young people Unique talents
Corporate social responsibility
A more diverse workforce
Cost effectiveness
Shape our future workforce
Use this slide to introduce 5 key reasons why your organisation should employ more young people.
The following slides provide further information about each reason.

5. Unique talents Unique talents and new ways of working1
Generation Y and Z are fast learners, flexible and adaptable – shape skills to specific roles
How can we move away from recruitment that focuses on previous employment and work experience?
Use this slide to discuss the unique talents young people can offer NHS organisations. You may wish to make reference to the CIPD Learning to Work 2012 survey and Birmingham and Solihull Local Education and Training Council’s Mind the Gap report.
The CIPD Learning to Work 2012 survey lists a number of positive qualities employers recognise young people bring to the workplace. These included:
a willingness to learn
fresh ideas and new approaches
motivation, energy and optimism
Young people aged between span the end of generation Y and the beginning of generation Z. The Mind the Gap report found that generation Z has an increased confidence in using technology to communicate, which could boost the digital skills of your workplace and prepare your workforce for future ways of working. Generation Z are fast learners, flexible and adaptable, meaning that employers can shape them to become the type of worker that they want, with a skill set specific to the role. Generation Y have a similar aptitude for technology as well as placing high importance on team working which is a vital skill for healthcare workers.
1. CIPD Learning to Work 2012 survey and Mind the Gap report

6. Corporate social responsibility
Employing young people from our local community can help improve public health outcomes for our area
Employing young people can help to ensure care is inclusive and patient- centred
Working closely with community can result in higher levels of employee loyalty and engagement
Use this slide to explain how employing young people can help your organisation to fulfil its CSR aims.
In the CIPD Learning to Work survey, a quarter of employers said that they had recruited young people because they feel they have a duty to help young people in the community. Almost three-quarters of employers believe they have a role to play in tackling youth unemployment.
Employing young people from your local community can also enhance your reputation as an employer with strong links to the community and boost your public profile. The Work Foundation’s Achieving higher report shows that there is a strong positive correlation between companies that are seen to take their responsibility towards society seriously and those seen as a good employer to work for.
In addition, forging strong links with your community may have a positive effect on your existing workforce, and could help you improve staff retention and loyalty. A Sirota Survey Intelligence survey showed that 86% of employees who are satisfied with their organisation's CSR commitment have high levels of engagement. When employees are negative about their employer's CSR activities, only 37% are highly engaged. It shows that businesses that recognise the importance of social responsibility often have employees who tend to be more satisfied with their jobs, adopt similar values, and become more committed to achieving success.
The University of Nottingham’s Corporate Social Responsibility Influence on Employees report states that ‘employee‘s perceptions of corporate image can positively influence job satisfaction, and negatively influence turnover and turnover intention’. Young people recruited from the local community may be more likely to remain with your organisation as their skills develop.
The Inspiring the Future programme connects schools and colleges with volunteers from the world of work who speak to young people about their job and career. This is a way in which you can encourage your employees to get involved with your CSR activities and develop their skills.

7. A more diverse workforce
Can help deliver a more inclusive service
Allow us to build a workforce representative of our community
New ways of thinking can help us meet future challenges
Studies show a link between diversity and financial performance2
Use this slide to explain the benefits of having a more diverse workforce, including more young people.
Having a range of ideas, experiences and skills within your workforce will boost innovation and creativity and will have a positive effect on the way care is delivered. As an NHS organisation, you will be better placed to understand the needs of your patients and engage with a wide range of people within your local community.
Embracing diversity can also help with recruitment and retention. You will have a wider pool of talent to choose from as well as being viewed as a supportive, inclusive place to work.   
McKinsey and Company’s Diversity Matters report shows a link between more diverse leadership and better financial performance, stating that “diversity management helps to enhance the company's image, increase employee satisfaction, strengthen customer orientation, win the war for talent, and improve decision making”.
2. McKinsey and Company Diversity Matters

8. Cost effectiveness
Long-term investment in development and training can result in employee loyalty and a skilled workforce3
Cost of training apprenticeships is recouped within two years4
Funding incentives for apprentices are available⁵
Use this slide to discuss the ways in which employing young people is cost effective.
By investing in training and development, you could benefit from a highly skilled, loyal workforce that is tailored to your needs. A UKCES report, Why businesses should recruit young people, states that investing in young people tends to enhance loyalty and reduce staff turnover which will help productivity and reduce future recruitment costs.
In May 2014, The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills published a study, Employer investment in apprenticeships in the health sector, which suggests that employers believe apprenticeships delivered the skills they needed and that in most instances, the costs of training could be recouped over 1 to 2 years.
It is also useful to know that there are financial incentives available from the government for apprenticeships.
3. UKCES report
4. Department for Business, Innovation and Skills study
5. Apprenticeship funding

9. Shape our future workforce
Prevent workforce supply shortages in the future5
Grow our own – in house training can ensure right skills and knowledge
Tackle the issue of ageing workforce
Use this slide to discuss how employing young people can help your organisation to shape your future workforce.
The UKCES sector insights report into skills and performance challenges for the health sector anticipates that “over two million new workers will need to be trained and recruited into the health and social care sector between 2012 and 2022 as the sector grows and some members of staff retire. This is equivalent to over half of the existing workforce and presents key challenges for training and staff retention.” The report’s accompanying infographic suggests that a way to overcome this challenge is to recruit more young people and to look at different types of occupations and skills.
6. UKCES sector insights report

10. What are other organisations doing?
Brightside’s NHS online mentoring project podcast
Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust work experience case study
Health Education England Widening Participation directory
Use this slide to provide examples of shared learning and best practice from other NHS organisation.

11. Next steps Insert your plans/proposals here
Include potential challenges and solutions
You may wish to use this slide to provide details of your proposed plans or proposals on how to begin to recruit more young people into your organisation, as well as any challenges you may anticipate.

12. Useful resources www.nhsemployers/ThinkFuture
NHS Employers recruiting young people Q&A document
Employing young people infographic
NHS Employers work experience web pages
Health Education England’s Talent for Care and Widening Participation programmes
This slide has a number of useful resources for you to share with colleagues. For further information, visit