THE NHS trust behind Southmead, Frenchay and Cossham hospitals has become the first NHS organisation to be given the Work Experience Quality Standard.

The chief executive of charity Fair Train – which is behind the National Work Experience Quality Standard - Beth Gardner, visited Southmead Hospital to present the North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) chief executive Andrea Young with a trophy to recognise the commitment to work experience.

The Work Experience Quality Standard is a national accreditation designed to recognise organisations with exemplary work experience provision; and also as a framework for development to help organisations plan, run and evaluate effective work experience programmes.

Ambassadors who joined the trust as staff following work experience placements were among those who celebrated the honour during Work Experience Week.

The trust works with partners, including Job Centre Plus and schools and colleges to offer work experience placements.

Gemma Wood, 23, who lives near Thornbury, first came to NBT for an eight-week work experience placement through Job Centre Plus and has now been working with the trust for 18 months.

Having done her work experience placement Gemma joined the trust to undertake a level 2 apprenticeship.

"I thought work experience was a good opportunity so I went for it,” she said.

"I did the eight weeks work experience then got an apprenticeship. Having completed my level 2 apprenticeship while I have been here I am now working on level 3.

"Everyone's so proud of me at home and I'm proud of myself.”

As well as the recognition for adopting the Fair Train standards, North Bristol NHS Trust signed the Work Experience Week pledge showing its support for work experience in the UK.

Beth Gardner, chief executive of Fair Train, said: “Whilst most people recognise the need for young people to gain real Work Experience, currently only one in four employers offer it.

“The NHS is unique in the variety of Work Experience placements it can offer – North Bristol, for example, has placements from admin to prosthetics, and pathology to housekeeping, which is very impressive. Not only does this mean that multiple placements can be offered within one organisation, but also that young people can get a taste for the world of work and develop their skills in a specific area.”

NBT chief executive Andrea Young, said: “We are thrilled to be the first NHS organisation to be accredited with the Work Experience Quality Standard.

The young people who come to us on work experience and our team achieve amazing, in some cases significantly life-changing results. This is great recognition for their efforts.