Stacey, Amy, Siwan and Ruby urge young people to sign up to become carers

Ruby Vaughan-Norris from our Ystradgynlais branch, Siwan James from our Newtown office, Amy Dowd from our Flintshire office and Stacey Elliot who works for our Ebbw Vale branch are encouraging more young people to consider a career in the care industry.

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

Twenty-two-year-old Ruby, 18-year-old Siwan, 18-year-old Amy and 25-year-old Stacey 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% 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.

“Working at Abacare has already become one of the most rewarding and fulfilling jobs we’ve ever had. We work with fantastic teams and meet wonderful service users on a daily basis, who have become more like friends and even family to us. It feels great to know we can brighten up their day and make a difference to their lives with the care we provide.

“We would certainly encourage any young people out there to give care work a go.”

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

We are 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.

It is great to see young people like Ruby, Siwan, Amy and Stacey 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 our team 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.

If you’re interested in a position with us, please get in touch.