Why can't newly qualified midwives get jobs?

Why can't newly qualified midwives get jobs?5 hours agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleNikki FoxEast of England health correspondentNikki Fox/BBCStudents and graduates joined a protest in Norwich to to highlight the difficulties of newly qualified midwives getting workNewly qualified midwives are being pushed into lower‑paid work outside the NHS, despite repeated warnings about "chronic" understaffing in maternity services, campaigners say.Some told the BBC they were working as receptionists or administrators because the number of advertised posts did not match the numbers being trained.Students and graduates are now protesting under a campaign, Fund Future Midwives UK, with demonstrations already held in Norwich, Manchester and Birmingham.The government said it sympathised and had funded 700 new midwifery posts costing £8m. But graduates say jobs remain scarce.Why are student midwives protesting?Nikki Fox/BBCProtesters, including new mothers, student midwives and graduates, as well as experienced midwives, came to show support for newly qualified staffThe Royal College of Midwives (RCM) surveyed newly qualified members earlier this year and found almost one in three (31%) had not secured jobs.Students protesting in Norwich said the outlook for those qualifying this summer may be worse.They pointed to a webinar held on 17 March, facilitated by NHS England Workforce, Training and Education, where students said they were told there could be about 55 midwifery vacancies in the East of England for around 300 students qualifying this year — roughly one job for every five graduates.The BBC understands that vacancy numbers fluctuate, but students say there is a clear gap between training numbers and available posts and are calling for guaranteed employment.They also highlight training costs. They must complete 2,300 hours of unpaid clinical practice - including on‑call shifts - while paying tuition fees and placement travel expenses.Students do receive a...