Apprenticeships in healthcare: six things you need to know

What healthcare roles are open to people who want to switch careers?

Joel Carmody, apprentice at St Peter’s medical centre, Harrow: I think the most common role is a healthcare assistant; it needs quite a bit of in-house training, but unlike a medical career, it doesn’t need a five-year university based course.

Candace Miller, director, National Skills Academy for Health: It depends on what level of existing skills or expertise you have to offer and how much personal effort you are willing to put in to make a change. For example, if you been working in a sales role, you will have customer service skills of real value in a caring role, but you will still need to develop in new ways and that takes determination.

Angelo Varetto, head of national occupational standards, qualifications and apprenticeships, Skills for Health: The health sector employs just about every occupation in some shape or form. I once heard the only occupation that isn’t employed somewhere in health is submariner – although I’m sure there are others. People enter a huge range of routes including apprenticeships and formal academic routes for the regulated professions.

What apprenticeships are available?

Lisa Atkin, programme lead, NHS Employers: There are apprenticeships in clinical roles (healthcare assistant, assistant practitioner) and a large number of others in a range of support functions (HR, IT, catering, finance). While many of the apprenticeships currently on offer are in entry level roles, higher and degree-level apprenticeships are expanding and workforce leaders across the NHS are investing a lot of time in looking at how the apprenticeship model can be used to train other parts of the workforce.

Charlotte Turnham, business administration apprentice, Addenbrooke’s hospital: Each hospital will be different but currently at Addenbrookes you can do an apprenticeship in business admin, customer service, lab sciences, healthcare, marketing and social media. With the introduction of more funding for apprenticeships I can see that expanding.

How do they work, how can you apply and how much do you get paid?

Sophie Graham, national careers service adviser, Skills Funding Agency: You tend to spend the majority of time with your employer learning on the job. Some apprentices spend one to two days a week at a local college working towards the relevant qualification, or an assessor will visit them in the workplace to ensure they are working towards the necessary criteria to pass the qualification.

You can apply for an apprenticeship directly through the company or through the National Apprenticeship Service, you can also approach employers directly. Apprenticeships are much like finding a job so it is a case of making an application and attending an interview.

Apprenticeships are now for a minimum of 12 months and national minimum wage for an apprentice is £3.30 an hour. If you are over 19 and you have been with the same employer for more than a year, your wage by law should be increased to the national minimum wage for your age.

The best/worst things about an apprenticeship

Courtenay White, former apprentice, now clerical assistant, Bradford district care NHS foundation trust: The best thing about my apprenticeship would be the range of different skills I acquired. The worst? The pay could be better. I got a full time permanent job and certainly wouldn’t be where I am without my apprenticeship.

Carmody: The best was being treated like an adult and the opportunity to see the grand scope of the NHS, from visiting other hospitals and healthcare providers for training, to meetings with council workers.

The worst aspect is that you find yourself in a-typical situations for your age (if you’re younger). I had to call for an ambulance for a patient yesterday despite lacking clinical knowledge to support the call. I also realised I didn’t have the emotional intelligence to fully understand the patient’s ordeal.

Turnham: Without a doubt the best thing is the opportunity to progress and develop yourself. There are so many jobs that open up to you. The worst? Definitely the pay – as a 27-year-old mum it was a struggle. However, after eight months I now have a full time job.

Are apprenticeships just for young people?

Turnham: They are generally aimed at school leavers but are available to any age as long as you don’t have a degree. We have apprentices in their 40s.

Graham: In 2014-2015 there were approximately 500,000 apprenticeship starts in England – 126,000 were under 19, 160,000 were 19-24 and 214,000 were 25+. Those statistics would suggest apprenticeships are not just for young people.

Miller: I think there are two misconceptions. First that apprenticeships are only for the young. Second that apprenticeships are for those who are not high fliers. That, too, is untrue and increasingly there is evidence that people are actively choosing an apprenticeship route whereas before they might have gone to university.

The benefits and challenges of doing an apprenticeship

Miller: One of the biggest advantages is that apprenticeships overturn the dilemma of employers wanting people with experience, and young people – or people from another sector – not having that experience to offer.

Atkin: Apprenticeships are great for developing the healthcare workforce and supporting them to acquire the skills required by the sector. They also deliver a great return on investment and allow organisations to grow their talent pipeline.

Graham: Apprenticeships are a great way to get your foot on to the career ladder; you can build a successful career with some very prestigious companies or organisations. Apprenticeships give you the opportunity to build valuable skills and work experience which can be transferable to future positions. Not only will you be building your skillset but working towards an accredited qualification at the same time.

A challenge of apprenticeships can be finding local opportunities, as they are very much like finding a job.

Join the Healthcare Professionals Network to read more pieces like this. And follow us on Twitter (@GdnHealthcare) to keep up with the latest healthcare news and views.