This National Apprenticeship Week, our senior executives came together with our education team to celebrate the success of our apprenticeship programme. There has been a 15 per cent rise in the number of employees taking up apprenticeships at our Trust since April 2023.
65 members of staff are currently completing apprenticeship programmes, with a further 24 having completed an apprenticeship since April 2023. We offer 25 fully-funded apprenticeship programmes across clinical and non-clinical roles, meaning that staff can learn at no personal cost.
This year, a highlight of our apprenticeship programmes was our Nursing Apprentice graduation ceremony in November 2023, at which 16 graduates were presented with their certificates by our Chief Executive, Graham Wareham, Chief Nursing Officer, Jo Lynch and governors.
Along with the wide range of apprenticeships we offer, we also support staff to develop the numeracy, literacy and digital skills they need to help them access apprenticeship programmes. Our Functional Skills training helps staff to reach their Level 2 English and Maths qualification, which is equivalent to GCSE grade 4/C. We also have Digital Skills champions to help staff who need additional support.
Alison Davies, Mental Health Nurse apprenticeship graduate said: “I really enjoyed doing the apprenticeship as the mix of practical skills and academic study suited my way of learning. I know that although my degree is now complete, I will be supported further to learn and develop in my role and career at our Trust, so I am grateful for the opportunities that studying my apprenticeship has given me.”
Hannah Payne, Recruitment Officer and HR Support apprentice said: “This apprenticeship has helped me gain confidence and develop both personally and professionally. I have learnt so much while having an amazing team supporting me throughout.”
Jo Lynch, Chief Nursing Officer said: “The most popular apprenticeship at our Trust continues to be the Nursing Associate (NMC 2018) and we currently have 24 staff participating in this programme.
This year, we were very pleased to launch our Clinical Associate in Psychology Apprenticeship and we now have five members of staff enrolled on this apprenticeship across our Community Mental Health and Children and Young People’s Services Divisions.”
Mette Laszkiewicz, Director of Education said: “We are committed to continuously updating and expanding our range of programmes to help increase the accessibility of career pathways to all our staff.
The Trust supports apprenticeships for all, and this year, the Trust joined the Department for Education’s Apprenticeship Diversity Champions Network, meaning that we actively champion and encourage more people from diverse backgrounds to consider apprenticeships.”