YOUNG people are being urged to consider a career in the NHS — and to write their own job advert for it.

A national schools’ competition, run by NHS Careers and supported by Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, is challenging 12- to 14-year- olds to produce a job advert for an NHS role.

The youngsters can work individually or in groups of up to four and the competition will be judged by a panel of experts on February 1, 2013.

The competition is part of the Step into the NHS programme and aims to get young people thinking creatively about health service careers.

The NHS employs more than 1.35 million people in England, is the largest employer in the country and one of the biggest employers in Bolton.

Statistics show almost one child in every class will end up working for the NHS.

There are hundreds of job roles from doctors and nurses, to paramedics, speech and language therapists, secretaries and cooks.

Lesley Doherty, chief executive of Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, said: “By supporting the schools competition, we hope to broaden the perception of local students about careers in the NHS.

“With over 350 job roles in the NHS, there is an opportunity for everyone to develop a career that is stimulating and makes a difference to patients.”

Dean Royles, director of NHS Employers which runs NHS Careers, said: “Last year we had more than 560 entries and we’re hoping for even more.”

Visit nhscareers.nhs.uk/ schoolscompetition or email lisa.cavanaugh@boltonft.

nhs.uk or Samantha.bulpitt@boltonft.

nhs.uk