Young people in the UK are increasingly interested in health and social care careers, according to a report by The Health Sector Advisory Group in partnership with The Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC). However, this interest has not translated to more jobs.

It comes as the UK government stated that the NHS spent£3 billion on agency staff in 2023 to 2024.

The report noted that during the 2023/24 academic year, 230,000 secondary students across England completed the CEC’s Future Skills Questionnaire (FSQ). It showed that health and social care was one of the most popular career sector choices among Year 11 students. Interest for health and social care has grown steadily in recent years, up 3% since 2022/23.

When viewed regionally, students’ interest in health and social care remains inconsistent, with variability across the country. For instance, only 19% of students in the south-east express interest in a career in the sector, compared to 25% in the north-west. Gender bias was also evident, with female students 3.5% more likely than males to consider a career in healthcare.

The report also noted that depth of awareness of healthcare careers remains shallow. When surveyed, young people were often unable to recall career options available within the NHS beyond more traditional and highly visible roles.

Meanwhile, employers and young people alike recognise that further action is needed to better prepare students for intake. Helping young people understand and prepare for the full range of application processes offers the most scope for improvement, the report noted.

The CEC’s study shows that just over half (54%) of Year 11 students said they knew about different types of recruitment and selection processes. By age 16, young people feel confident in most work-related skills but rate themselves lower on ‘human skills’ vital for health and social care careers like leadership, listening, speaking and teamwork, the report added.

Students from disadvantaged backgrounds are also less confident talking about their skills when applying for courses or jobs. They have career ambitions but are less sure footed when engaging independently with future employers. As one example, only 5% of entrants to medical school are from the lowest socio-economic groups.

The Health Sector Advisory Group has identified and initiated action plans to address barriers locally, using the national careers education system.

One of the steps it advises is to use workplace experiences to deepen young people’s interest in health and social care. Furthermore, it suggested embedding careers awareness about health and social care within the curriculum as well as empowering teachers to help inform students about careers in health and social care.

“Too often, young people who express an interest in working in health and social care are unsure about what pathways are available or feel uncertain about whether they are “the right fit,” Shajeda Ahmed, chief people officer at Black Country Integrated Care Board, said in the report. “Outdated assumptions, limited exposure to real-life experiences, and a lack of personalised guidance all play a role in dampening aspirations or narrowing choices. As a result, too many promising futures are lost before they have the chance to begin.”

Ahmed added that the NHS faces well-documented and significant workforce challenges.

“The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan and the subsequent 10-year strategy outline the scale and urgency of what lies ahead,” Ahmed added. “Solutions will require national coordination and sustained investment, but they also demand innovation and leadership at a local level. One area where we can and must act now is in how we engage young people and support them to consider, prepare for, and progress into health and care careers.”

“This is a wake-up call,” John Yarham, interim CEO of The Careers & Enterprise Company told FE News. “The interest from young people is widespread and growing, but it risks going to waste. We need to come together to create a system that works for students and the NHS, closing the loop between aspiration and opportunity. If we connect the dots between what young people want and what the NHS needs, we won’t just save money, we’ll save lives.”

Jonathan Townsend, UK Chief Executive, The King’s Trust, also commented.

“We know that guidance and work experience to steer young people through the range of career opportunities, combined with dedicated support securing interviews and job offers, transform young people’s confidence and ability to pursue a career in the health and social care sector,” Townsend told FE News.