A HEALTH and social care training centre is working in conjunction with Devon County Council to provide a unique opportunity for West Devon school leavers to take up traineeships and earn apprenticeships with health and social care employers.

Venus Training and Consultancy has secured placements with some of the region's leading healthcare employers in Tavistock for five 16 to 18-year-olds.

The voluntary work placements are for three days a week for six weeks during February and March, with a view to those young people being taken on as an apprentice at the end.

Venus specialises in health and social care covering both Devon and Cornwall. Services offered include dementia, epilepsy, First Aid, infection control, childcare, nutrition and hydration, end of life care as well as fully funded qualifications in health and social care and apprenticeship programmes.

This scheme is aimed at NEETs (people not in education, employment or training) and offers a route to work, the offer of support and guidance from the consultancy and the chance to earn an apprenticeship.

Young people are urged to come forward if they think they are suitable for a placement in the health and social care sector.

Jane Kellas, a director of Venus, said: 'We are looking to recruit young people onto the programme, identifying them as a potential future apprentice and to very carefully match them to the businesses that have offered us the opportunities for placement.

'We have already successfully partnered five teenagers with some of the region's biggest employers; we have five more to go.'

The places are part of the Government's Traineeship Scheme and with the support offered by Devon County Council can help provide additional money to further extend the opportunity that the scheme delivers.

Jane said: 'Venus will complete and pay for the young person's DBS checks, provide and pay for uniforms and shoes, travel during the placement, a subsistence allowance to cover meal costs and will deliver a range of free courses to the young person during the six-week programme.

'These courses can also be free to limited numbers of the employers' own staff to attend.'

Places are filling fast and need to be completed by the end of March.

Interested employers and young people are asked to call Venus on 0845 2012300 or email [email protected]">[email protected] as soon as possible.