Croydon College and a couple-led initiative are among those bidding to tackle a growing housing and staffing "bottleneck" for care workers in the area.
Diana Dos-Santos, the college's business engagement executive at Croydon College, said it is working closely with employers to build a workforce from the ground up.
She told Your Local Guardian: “My role is to engage with the community, engage with employers.
“It’s about giving our community of learners, because they range from 16 plus, the best opportunities, which come through work-related experience.
“We have one of the highest unemployment rates in Croydon, and it’s very much to try and work together to combat that.”
The unemployment rate in Croydon is relatively high compared with both London and national averages, according to recent Office for National Statistics data.
The college offers Level 2 and Level 3 adult social care apprenticeships, allowing employers to train both new recruits and existing staff.
Diana explained: “What that does is make sure that all care homes are prepared.
“We can hire locally from our own communities and hire them fresh, from school or career transitions, start them from level two and grow them throughout the apprenticeship.
“You’ve got a ready workforce coming into care that is already qualified.”
The scheme also links to a wider concern shared by Croydon-based housing initiative Urban Nest, run by Ben Sheehan-Gyles and his partner Sylvia, who have been working with care providers and the council.
Ben said recent immigration rule changes are expected to reduce the number of overseas care workers entering the UK, creating a potential workforce gap.
The organisation had initially focused on housing but realised staffing would soon become a parallel issue.
Ben said: “We’re trying to help the housing crisis but also help care companies grow by providing them housing.
“There’s a housing bottleneck, but also a staffing bottleneck that’s coming over the next couple of years.
“So, the question became how do we bring a solution to Croydon?”
The project aims to link training directly with accommodation, helping providers recruit locally while ensuring workers can live near their jobs.
Croydon College hopes collaboration with employers will allow cohorts of apprentices to start training once enough providers sign up.
Diana said: “In order to operate the course, we need a cohort of 10 to start.
“That sounds quite small, but you would not believe how difficult it can be.”
One barrier has been awareness among care providers about how apprenticeships work and how much funding is available.
She added: “The government funds 95 per cent, so you’re only paying for a salary.
“People aren’t really aware.”
The college has also built a specialist clinical training suite designed to replicate real working environments.
Diana said: “It looks like a hospital ward and has all the health and safety training apparatus.
“It’s great for people to actually utilise that experience and take full advantage of those facilities.”
Stakeholder and skills forum events will bring employers together to discuss recruitment and training needs.
Both organisations hope the combined approach of training and housing could create a sustainable pipeline of local care workers rather than relying on overseas recruitment.
Diana said: “It’s really about education and letting people know brilliant collaborations are going on to support the community.”
