Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) has successfully delivered four cohorts through the Volunteer to Career (VtC) Programme which allows people to explore careers in healthcare while volunteering. The programme offers our volunteers placements to gain experience and training sessions to develop their skills and knowledge. SaTH pledges its support for anyone who has served in the Armed Forces and are now veterans.
We are working with national organisations and the local Armed Forces network as one of 12 pilot sites to deliver two Veterans and Spouses Volunteer to Career programme with the aim of creating a pathway for retired veterans & their spouses to work within the healthcare sector in clinical & nonclinical roles.
The VtC programme will give you a great insight into a particular profession/role and you do not need previous experience or qualifications to apply.
The Volunteer to Career programme is a great opportunity if:
- You want a change in career but don’t know where to start
- You are not sure if a career in healthcare is for you and want to try it out before applying for a paid job or course
- You have been out of work for a length of time and need a gradual route back into work
- You have been turned down for jobs in the NHS due to lack of knowledge and experience in the NHS
Volunteer to Career Success Stories
Charlotte Newby
“I have now been studying at Staffordshire University for the past three months doing a midwifery degree. I am loving it! I would like to thank you for the opportunity I had on the Volunteer to Career programme as I know this strengthened my application for university. Not to mention the experience to work on the postnatal unit before deciding on this career path.
“I’m doing my midwifery placements with SaTH at the Princess Royal Hospital, a far cry from my old career as a kitchen designer. I am very passionate about this career and would gladly share my experience on the Volunteer to Carer programme with others.”
Bailey Thompson
“My name is Bailey and I am a future midwife. I moved to the UK in 2017 and worked for years in recruitment, but my heart was really never in it and in June of 2021 I had my first child – I thought it would be such an interesting job to be a midwife.
“New motherhood and promise of a promotion got the better of me, however, and I pushed that feeling away and forgot about it. Then I had my second child- and during the chaos of her early arrival and the subsequent seven weeks she spent on neonatal I started to remember why I thought midwifery was such an interesting job, and that feeling of intuition that I had pushed away two years before was coming back.
“Then one day when walking through the Princess Royal Hospital to visit my girl in neonatal I noticed a sign saying ‘Volunteer to Career midwifery’ and it felt like it was put there specifically for me to see, letting me know this was my chance. I got in touch that very same day and by October my baby was home and I was spending 4-8 hours a week on post and antenatal at Princess Royal Hospital.
“This programme was the best thing that I could have found – it allowed me to gain insight into the role of a midwife beyond being a patient, it allowed me to become a part of the team at my local Trust and helped open my eyes to what an amazing and challenging field it would be. I was unsure about applying for the midwifery programme and every single midwife, maternity support worker, and women support worker stood by me and cheered me on, supporting my dream in a way I didn’t know was even possible.
“It’s thanks to this programme that at 35 I have found the courage to restart my career and go back to school, as I have been accepted for the midwifery programme starting in September 2024 and hope to do my placement with SaTH.
“Programmes like VtC can change lives and help people realise dreams that they didn’t even know they had. I’m so lucky for everything that led me to this place in my life and feel so fortunate to have had the volunteer team behind me every step of the way.”
Rodica Birca
“I am proud to have been part of the volunteering team at SaTH, and it was an inspiring experience that significantly impacted my career path. Through this opportunity, I gained essential skills and discovered my passion for healthcare.
The team at SaTH was incredibly supportive, and I learned something new each day, which bolstered my self-confidence in interacting with patients and staff. My communication skills improved as I learned to interact empathetically with patients’ families and communicate effectively with the team. Motivated by this positive experience, I applied for the role of Maternity Ward Clerk and was thrilled to be accepted.
As a new starter, I am enjoying my role immensely, having met new people and joined an amazing, supportive team. This experience has been incredibly fulfilling, and I am eager to continue achieving newgoals.
I would highly recommend volunteering to others, as it provides valuable skills, personal growth, and a pathway to paid employment.”