The Department has consulted with NHS Employers, strategic health authorities (SHA) and the Social Partnership Forum on maximising employment opportunities for newly qualified health care graduates. The consistent message from these consultations is that solutions need to be flexible, locally driven and founded on partnerships between employers, staff side and the higher education sector. Any new initiatives also need to be appropriately tested first.
Accordingly, East of England SHA have offered to undertake a feasibility study into establishing a local voluntary guaranteed employment scheme. The feasibility study will last for one year and was launched on 15 May by East of England SHA. The outcome of the feasibility study will determine whether employment guarantee schemes are a viable option. If so, the nature and length of these schemes will be defined upon relevant factors established through the study.