Across AstraZeneca, we are always looking for ways to build better connections with young people and to help them progress. We welcome the different skills, backgrounds and perspectives that this group can bring to our organisation as we work to build a more inclusive, diverse future workforce and a more sustainable and equitable society.
15 July 2022 marks the eighth annual UN World Youth Skills Day, a fantastic opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the strategic importance of equipping young people with the skills needed for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship in the future.
At AstraZeneca, we understand that to keep innovating and pushing the boundaries of science to deliver life-changing medicines, we need to remain curious and open to different perspectives and fresh ideas. We have a number of early talent programmes across our business that are designed to engage young people and help to align our organisation with the healthcare leaders and innovators of tomorrow – so we can continue to make a difference to patients and society.
Global internship programmes
Our global internship programmes are one part of our commitment to developing early talent. Around the world, we hire around 5,000 people to take part in our internship programme, industrial and summer placements annually. We ensure that each internship position we offer is tailored to the skills and experiences of the specific individual, empowering them to work to their strengths, make a meaningful contribution and explore areas of healthcare that they might not have previously considered.
Our interns also provide us with valuable new insights and perspectives, and encourage our teams to think differently, which in turn fuels innovation and enables us to deliver more for our patients.
In the UK, our apprenticeships programme employs up to 50 hires per year, and we are developing year-long industrial student placements to place 70 early talent individuals into our organisation. Learn about the experience of one of our recent UK interns, Adan Khan and his manager, Patient Solutions and Digital Innovation Partner, Marcus Simon, in this short video.
STEM outreach programmes
To continue transforming the lives of millions of patients around the world, we support the development of the next generation of scientists and engineers through contribution to the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) curriculum provided to current students and practitioners.
We currently have STEM outreach programmes live in the UK, US and Sweden, designed to help educate and inspire young people about STEM careers, working in partnership with local schools and organisations.
Young Health Programme (YHP)
As a healthcare company, we also have a responsibility for driving systemic change and supporting young people beyond our immediate talent pipeline. We believe that access to healthcare is about working towards a future where all people will benefit from sustainable solutions for life-changing treatment and prevention.
Since its launch in 2010, the Young Health Programme (YHP) has worked with over 30 not-for-profit organisations and reached over 40 million young people with information about non-communicable disease (NCD) risk behaviours. Through training over 190,000 young people in the delivery of interventions, we are accelerating the delivery of sustainable healthcare. We are also using our capabilities to strengthen health systems and improve equitable access to healthcare.
We aim to catalyse action on a broader scale through:
- Building inclusive, community-based education and training programmes that empower young people with knowledge and skills to help them make informed health choices
- Championing advocacy initiatives that put NCD prevention and adolescent health on the local, national and global policy agenda
- Developing young leaders and youth-serving organisations through mentorship, scholarships, grants and learning opportunities
- Investing in new research to address gaps in knowledge and build evidence about adolescent health to increase understanding and inform decision-making
It takes passion, creativity and innovation to make a positive impact on the health challenges we face around the world. World Youth Skills Day is an important reminder to recognise the valuable contribution that young people make to our business, and to our industry. This year, we are celebrating the young people who are addressing some of the world’s most pressing health challenges – meet the inspiring young health leaders who have been selected to receive a scholarship to attend the One Young World Summit. We hope to support these scholars in realising their dreams and becoming even more effective at achieving positive change in their own communities.
Through providing opportunities, sharing skills and nurturing young talent, we have a powerful role in shaping the future direction of our workforce, and positively contributing to society.
