This week our Trust is shining a light on the positive impact of apprenticeships and the opportunities they offer.
Apprenticeships give people the chance to learn new skills, move into new, rewarding careers and progress in existing ones. They also help to improve people’s pay.
We currently have 65 employees on our apprenticeship programmes and a further 10 colleagues have graduated from an apprenticeship since April 2022. In the same timeframe, there has been a sharp 40.8 percent increase in the number of people starting an apprenticeship with us. This means that even more of our employees are benefitting from the Apprenticeship levy funding to progress their careers. This means that our employees can learn at no personal financial cost because the course fees are fully funded.
We offer 22 apprenticeship programmes across clinical and non-clinical disciplines and are committed to continuously updating and expanding our range of programmes to help increase the accessibility of career pathways to all colleagues. 13 of our apprenticeship programmes are at a higher or degree level, with the remainder being Level 2 and 3 apprenticeships. The most popular apprenticeship is the Nursing Associate (NMC 2018) and we currently have 25 staff participating in this programme.
We support employees to develop numeracy, literacy and digital skills to help them access apprenticeship programmes with greater confidence. Our Functional Skills training helps people to reach Level 2 English and Maths qualification, which is equivalent to GCSE grade 9-4 (A*-C). We also have Digital Skills champions to help staff who need additional support.
Ntombizodwa Sibanda, Registered Nurse Degree Apprentice said: “My experience as a Health Care Assistant inspired me to become a Nurse and I have been a Registered Nurse Degree Apprentice since 2019. Having the opportunity to be an apprentice has meant that I have been able to work towards my dream job while still earning a salary. This has enabled me to support myself and my family. I am now close to completing my apprenticeship and hope to qualify as a nurse later this year”.
Surrey and Borders Partnership’s Chief Nursing Officer, Jo Lynch said: “Apprenticeships help us build career pathways for the health and social care sector. All employee occupation groups can benefit, whether they work in clinical or non-clinical roles. We are committed to our investment in apprenticeships, expanding the range of apprenticeships we offer, and supporting our apprentices to get the most out of their experiences.”