Careers in this sector are highly rewarding, giving you the chance to not only help people on an individual basis, but make a difference to society as a whole.

Working in this sector is all about helping people. Healthcare involves treating people who are having problems with their physical health in hospitals, health centres and in the community, while social care is about providing physical, emotional and social support to help vulnerable people live their lives with independence and dignity.

Career options

The sector is very broad with a huge number of career options, whether you’re more suited to gaining a degree at university followed by medical training, or starting with on-the-job experience and working towards professional qualifications later in your career to help you progress.

We offer three tailored career packages in this sector:

These include a bespoke mix of qualifications and professional development opportunities that employers in this sector have designed alongside us. Having their expertise in the designing of our curriculum means that you’ll not only leave with relevant qualifications, but you’ll have developed additional skills that real employers recruiting to these positions right now are telling us they’re looking for.

Employment opportunities

Everybody uses the specialist skills of the people in this sector in their lifetimes, and our local population is growing and people are living longer. This means employers of health, care and medical professionals need to recruit more of them in order to meet the demand. The number of jobs available in this sector increased by 6% between 2011 and 2017, and the demand is predicted to continue to increase over the coming years~.

What do I need?

The key requirement for a job in this sector is a caring and compassionate personality and a genuine desire to help people.

What can I earn?

Pay varies greatly within the sector, with the average annual wage of a care worker reported to be around £17,200*, while highly specialised medical consultants and senior healthcare managers can easily earn six figure salaries.

*information from total jobs.

~information from SELEP.