A CARER is encouraging more young people to consider a career in the industry after they complete their studies.

According to the Social Care Wales workforce survey, 11 per cent of social care workers in Wales are under 25 and 15 per cent are aged 25 to 30.

Siwan James, 18, who works as a carer at Abacare in Newtown, said: “In the current climate, job security is not often a given, however by choosing a job in care young people can set themselves up from an early age in potentially what could be a career for life, where they can work their way up the ladder as well as making a real difference to people’s lives.

“We currently have an ageing population. The number of elderly people over the age of 80 is expected to increase by 44 per cent in Wales by 2030, meaning the demand for care workers to look after these people is growing at a rapid pace and it’s my generation who will be stepping up to take on the work.

“I studied Health and Social Care Level 3 at college and became a carer for Abacare in May this year. It has already become one of the most rewarding and fulfilling jobs I’ve ever had. I work with a fantastic team and meet wonderful service users on a daily basis, who have become more like friends and even family to me. It feels great to know I can brighten up their day and make a difference to their lives with the care I provide.

“I would certainly encourage any young people out there who might have just finished their studies and be at a loss as to what to do next, to give care work a go.”

Currently the average age of social care workers is 46, with 31 per cent of male social care workers aged 55 or over and 20 per cent of female social workers.

Abacare is one of a growing list of care providers coming together to help recruit 20,000 carers in Wales by 2030 as part of the WeCare Wales campaign.

The campaign is a collaboration with Social Care Wales and leading organisations representing social care, early years and childcare in Wales, as well as other national bodies involved in job-seeking and careers advice.

It is part of a long-term strategy to develop the workforces in the care and health sectors over the next decade, to provide a high-quality, seamless service to the people of Wales.

The campaign will highlight the breadth of career opportunities in care, from childminders and nursery practitioners to home care co-ordinators and care home managers.

The WeCare campaign aims to show the variety of roles and career progression opportunities available. By using real care workers, the campaign focuses on the challenges they face, as well as what makes their work rewarding and worthwhile.

Abacare operates a professional Care Management Team that is committed to providing high quality care to individuals in their own homes.

The large team of trained, specialist, care workers provide positive based outcomes and person centred care to people throughout Wales.

Jane Jones, Branch Manager at Abacare, which has offices in Newtown and provides care in the surrounding areas, said: “It is great to see a young person like Siwan be so passionate about the care industry.

“Lots of young people might not ever consider working in the industry and it’s great to see Siwan encouraging them to do so. Care work is hard work, but it’s also extremely rewarding, and we know how passionate the younger generation are about making a difference, so they’re the ideal people to take care of our ageing population.

“No experience is necessary to become a carer as free, full training is offered, which includes a company induction, first aid, information on dementia, health and safety, food safety, infection control, handling medication and moving and handling service users, with the opportunity to achieve Qualification and Credit Framework (QCF) after the initial three months probationary period.

“New recruits are given free uniforms as well as 28 days paid holiday, paid travel between calls and paid mileage. We also provide access to a discount card scheme where staff receive great discounts with major retailers including Marks & Spencer, Tesco, Boots and Argos.”

Abacare also offers FaceTime or Skype interviews to candidates in order to meet the demands of the modern jobseeker. Its view is that busy people wanting a career change can ‘meet’ the team via FaceTime or similar applications and find out about the roles it has to offer, as well as meet a couple of team members and, if they are about, also say ‘hello’ to a carer too.

For more information about Abacare, please call the Newtown office on 01686 625644 or visit www.abacare.org.uk. Alternatively, please follow the company on Facebook at http://on.fb.me/Yn4zmS or on Twitter by visiting www.twitter.com/visitabacare.