Developing your workforce for the future

Your workforce strategy enables you to turn your workforce design and plan into reality. To secure the workforce you need, you have two clear choices: either you recruit people to fill any shortages; or you take steps to ensure that your existing employees can acquire the skills you need.

 

If you want to upskill existing staff, their participation can be extended or their skills advanced in a number of ways: Apprenticeships, Advanced Apprenticeships, a range of Qualifications, or through internal and/or external training provision.

However, it’s important that all education and development pathways are be based on sound understanding of service need and workforce design. To help you ensure that this is the case, Skills for Health has Learning Design Principles and Higher Education Demonstrator sites which can show you how this can be achieved.  In addition, we have a number of Career frameworks which describe possible roles and routes to support continuing development.

If recruitment of new people is the route chosen, there are a number of ways to attract potential employees. Apart from traditional methods, other more innovative methods might be used. For example, one route might involve working with relevant stakeholders in your area to attract recruits from disadvantaged groups and extend their participation in learning and the workforce.

If you need advice or help with local and regional networks, or sources of funding to support workforce development, Directors in the Skills for Health National and Regional teams can help you. They have information on a wide range of initiatives including the Joint Investment Framework and the Skills Pledge.
 
Further support is available to health sector employers by the Skills Academy for Health (run by Skills for Health). The Academy assists employers by managing and delivering development programmes tailored to meet local needs.