A great route into a caring profession
"The best thing about working in social care is knowing that you are helping other people and that every day is different," Ellie Fudge, adult social care apprentice
How about doing a job where you can feel good every day, knowing you are helping other people live their lives more independently? That's what a career in adult social care is about.
A growing sector
Adult social care is one of the very few sectors able to offer sustainable job vacancies in the current economic climate.
The sector employs 1.5 million people, and by 2025 we estimate that another 1 million workers will be needed to meet England's growing social care demands.
What is adult social care?
Adult social care is about providing personal and practical support to help people live their lives. This might be working with a 20-year-old man with a learning disability or an 80-year-old woman with dementia.
There are a huge range of jobs available in adult social care, such as frontline care workers, managers, activity organisers and therapists, as well as specialist roles, chefs, maintenance, and administration roles. You can see videos of different people talking about their job in adult social care by visiting: working in social care
You could be working in a home, out in your local community, or in someone's house. Somewhere in your community there's a job you can do to help others.
Getting started
If you're new to adult social care, then it could seem daunting. That's why an apprenticeship is a really good place to start. As an apprentice, you'll earn while you learn, gain nationally recognised qualifications and develop the skills and knowledge to become a confident and skilled care worker.
We now have more than 73,000 social care apprentices. Apprenticeships are made up of on and off-the-job training. Most apprenticeships last between one and two years, and when you finish, you'll have a broad range of qualifications and the experience you need to work in adult social care. This will give you a solid foundation for future management roles and career progression. With an estimated extra one million workers needed in the sector by 2025, finding work shouldn't be a problem!
Stephanie Taylor, a referrals co-ordinator, says: "I started on an apprenticeship and I'm very grateful for that opportunity. It's a fantastic pathway into social care!"
For more information about working in adult social care and to hear from other apprentices click here. You'll also be able to search for apprenticeship vacancies.
Content on this page is produced and controlled by Skills for Care.
