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Occupational Therapy Week 2020: Securing the future workforce and increasing diversity within the profession

RCOT
02 September 2020

We are delighted to announce that the theme for Occupational Therapy Week 2020 is securing the future workforce and increasing diversity within the profession. The week’s activities will run from Monday 2 to Sunday 8 November and we have some exciting plans for raising the profile of occupational therapy as a career.

We will be running a social media advertising campaign to raise the profile of occupational therapy as a career with school students, particularly in cities and areas where large numbers of the population are ethnic minorities. The campaign will direct people to a new career microsite which will provide more information about becoming an occupational therapist.

We are looking for six occupational therapists to feature in the campaign; could you be one of them? If you are interested, let us know by Monday 7 September. You can find more information on the application form.

There will be several ways for members to get involved in the campaign, including sharing their own stories about why they chose to be an occupational therapist. We will also be asking members to reach out virtually to their local schools, using digital tools that will be provided.

We are aiming to make Occupational Therapy Week 2020 the most sustainable campaign to date. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, we won’t be encouraging any group gatherings and will therefore not be providing physical packs. This will also significantly improve the environmental impact of the campaign.

Look out over the coming weeks and months in Highlight, OTNews and on social media for more information about how you can get involved.

FAQs

When is Occupational Therapy Week 2020?

It will start on Monday 2 November and run through to Sunday 8 November 2020.

 

What is the theme for Occupational Therapy Week 2020?

The theme is securing the future workforce and increasing diversity within the profession.

 

How will the campaign help secure the future workforce and increase diversity within the profession?

We will be running a social media advertising campaign to raise the profile of occupational therapy as a career with school students, particularly in cities and areas where large numbers of the population are ethnic minorities. It will feature six occupational therapists talking about why they chose the profession and the route they took.  The campaign will run for approximately eight weeks.

There will also be a careers microsite which will provide more information on how to become an occupational therapist.

 

How can members get involved in the campaign?

There will be several ways for members to get involved, including sharing campaign materials, as well as their own stories about why they chose to become an occupational therapist. We will also ask members to reach out virtually to their local schools to promote occupational therapy as a career, using digital tools that we will provide.

 

When can members order packs?

We are aiming to make Occupational Therapy Week 2020 the most sustainable campaign to date. In light of the restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we won’t be encouraging group gatherings, and will therefore not be providing physical packs. This will also have a significant impact on making the campaign more sustainable.

 

What resources will RCOT be providing?

We will be providing members with digital resources to help them to promote occupational therapy as a career in local schools. 

 

When will the digital resources be available?

They will be available to download in October, the exact timings will be confirmed shortly.