New group to plan healthcare jobs and placements for returning graduates

A new Healthcare Workforce Strategic Group will assess how students training in health and care professions can move into jobs in Gibraltar when they qualify and return home.

The group held its first meeting on Tuesday and will identify current and anticipated vacancies, coordinate placements and graduate programmes, and examine any gaps between the professionals expected to qualify and the needs of local services.

Its initial work will assess the number of graduates expected over the next two to five years, projected staffing requirements and the capacity available locally for employment and placements.

The Gibraltar Government said the group had been established in recognition of the significant number of students undertaking healthcare-related studies who are expected to return over the coming years.

“A significant number of our young people are training as nurses, midwives, pharmacists, doctors and allied health professionals,” the Minister for Health, Care and Business, Gemma Arias-Vasquez, said.

“They are an enormous asset to our community, and we owe it to them, and to our patients, to plan properly for their return.”

“This Group will give us a clear picture of who is coming home, when, and with what skills, and make sure there is a genuine route into meaningful work and a lasting career in our health and care services when they do.”

Chaired by the Gibraltar Health Authority’s acting Director of Workforce, the group brings together senior representatives from the Ministry for Health, Care and Business, the departments of Employment and Education, the GHA, the University of Gibraltar and the Care Agency.

Other departments, professional bodies, healthcare providers and specialists may be invited to contribute where their expertise would assist its work.

Its remit includes nursing and midwifery, allied health professions, pharmacy, medicine and other clinical professions, alongside healthcare support roles, social care and emerging specialist requirements.

The group will coordinate clinical placements, internships, graduate programmes and structured opportunities to move from training into practice. It will also recommend measures to support recruitment, retention and career progression.

At its first meeting, members considered its terms of reference and initial programme of work.

The group will meet at least quarterly and report its findings and recommendations to Mrs Arias-Vasquez, before producing an annual healthcare workforce plan or strategic update.

“Building a strong, locally trained workforce is one of the most practical steps we can take towards services that are sustainable for the long term,” Mrs Arias-Vasquez said.