Future Quest Healthcare is a collaboration between UWE Bristol, University of Bristol, University of Bath, Healthier Together and NHS England. This partnership supports students to explore their options in healthcare, plan their pathway and realise their future potential through activities, information, and support. 

• Help them think about their future

  Let your young person know it’s perfectly ok not to know what they want to do in the future. It is likely that school leavers will change their careers as many as 11 times during the course of their working life.  

  Trying to ignore the fact that choices will have to be made at the end of Year 11 (and beyond) can create problems. Help your young person to consider their options by opening up communication with open questions, active listening and respecting their ideas.  

  Help them to make the link from where they are now to the huge range of options within the NHS and beyond by using accurate information and starting to investigate all the opportunities.   

• Encourage them to keep going

  Young people need to juggle their studies alongside thinking about their future plans. It is easy to get knocked off track by unexpected exam results, negative experiences of work or the realisation that interests in subjects and ideas can change.  

  Celebrate learning from all experiences and self-reflection. Helping your young person to focus on their strengths and develop resilience at an early age will support young people to successfully cope with learning and working in the future.  

  Let your young person know there are multiple pathways available at age 16 and 18 to allow them to reach their goals. Understanding that English, Maths and Science are the core subjects that educators and employers focus on can sometimes reduce the feeling of pressure young people have when they are studying a broad GCSE curriculum. 

• Build your own pathways knowledge

  Qualifications and routes into careers change quickly. Having an awareness of these options can help you to ask the most relevant questions and signpost your young person to useful resources.  

  T levels are a new type of vocational qualification that join existing vocational qualifications such as BTECs. There is much to consider when choosing A-Levels. You could try the A Level explorer tool.   

  Use these links to find out more about pathways into NHS careers which include apprenticeships, degree apprenticeships, university and post graduate opportunities.  

  Be aware of the role of regulatory bodies in healthcare careers. These organisations will accredit degrees and apprenticeships and can therefore help in terms of researching what and where to study.  

  You can also update your knowledge on funding options available to support qualifying in different healthcare careers. 

• Discuss their skills and qualities

  Skills develop as we progress through life. Knowing our skills and strengths can help us make well informed choices about how to learn and which kinds of jobs and environments would suit us well. It can also help us think about compromise if a career idea will ask us to use skills outside of our comfort zone on a regular basis. This NHS tool can help your young person consider their skills. 

  Talking about skills and identifying examples will develop confidence and is also excellent preparation for applying for courses and jobs, and performing well in interviews.  

• Do some extra research

  Reading news articles about the healthcare sector can help to confirm choices and gain a greater awareness of current policy and how healthcare is delivered. Other sources could include journals such as the BMJ, the New Scientist, Nursing Times and the news from NHS England.   

• Encourage them to listen to professionals

  Exploring stories from different healthcare professionals can really help offer young people an insight into a job role they might be interesed in. Learning from real-life experiences can also helps them reflect on the kind of person they see themselves becoming. This is another great way to weigh up the pros and cons of different job roles. Encourage them to access virtual meetings and experience and also plan and attend face to face work experience.  

• Consider current student views

  Gaining advice and information from current healthcare students can help young people to visualise job roles more accurately and remove barriers that misinformation can build. It can be motivating for young people to see their peers succeeding in higher education and job roles. There are opportunities to chat to students on the UCAS website.

• Be aware of the timelines for action

  Review our suggested timelines. There are many different deadlines and actions to tick off the ‘to-do’ list in order to support confident progression on from school.   

• Keep in contact with school/college

  Regular contact from school/college can help you understand your young person’s progress linked to the curriculum, which can generate conversations at home. School/college staff might also be able to offer support with access to careers advisers and careers events on site. Sharing your young person’s goals and aspirations with teachers can help them to motivate and inspire them in the classroom.  

• Keep an open mind

  When reflecting on career journeys, many people would agree that it is not a straightforward process. It is likely that this will also be the case for your young person. However, with good planning and fully considering the options at each stage, every part of the journey can offer new lessons, insights and enjoyment. The pointers listed above will provide an awareness of opportunities and an understanding what is required in healthcare careers. Encouraging young people to keep an open mind and to consider a range of options is important as they navigate their own ideas and plans.