Shropshire hospital trust shines a light on apprentices for National Apprenticeship Week

From Monday, February 6, until Sunday, February 12, the trust (SaTH) will be celebrating the roles of its 165 employees currently on apprenticeship programmes.

They will also be raising awareness about the wide variety of apprenticeship opportunities that are available at SaTH and the rest of the NHS.

Rhia Boyode, director of people and organisational development at SaTH, said: “Our apprentices are an important and valued part of our workforce.

"Apprenticeships not only provide people with the opportunity to develop skills by gaining on-the-job experience while studying, but they allow organisations such as ourselves to grow talent and develop skilled and qualified teams.

“Apprenticeships are a fantastic opportunity for people to consider as a pathway into the NHS and to underpin their progression on their chosen career route within our organisation.”

This year’s theme is ‘Skills for Life’; the week will reflect on how apprenticeships can help individuals to develop the skills and knowledge required for a rewarding career – and help businesses grow a talented workforce that is equipped with skills for the future.

SaTH has 165 employees on a range of apprenticeship programmes including customer service practitioners, business administrators, pharmacy technicians, assistant practitioners in radiography and nursing associates.

Apprenticeship qualifications are available to support the development of both new and existing staff members and the trust embraces this route to help people progress in their chosen career.

Evie Heath, from Shrewsbury, was in her final year at school studying for her GCSEs when she came across apprenticeships in her search for what to do next.

The 17-year-old said: “I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do after school. I was unsure whether to do a business course at college or move into work straight away so I could earn some money.

"During my research I came across the SaTH Jobs website and saw they offered apprenticeships.

"I soon realised this gave me the best of both worlds – the chance to gain new skills and learn on the job, as well as earn my own money. It was win-win for me.”

Evie had always been interested in law as a possible career and had looked at similar roles within law firms, but she had a keen interest in healthcare too.

She applied for the legal services apprenticeship, was invited for interview and in June 2021 was offered the role.

Evie added: “I was thrilled when I got the call offering me the job. I couldn’t believe it and was so excited to start.”

In her role, Evie focuses on clinical negligence claims and liaises with solicitors, police, patients and the courts regarding potential claims.

Evie has been at SaTH for 18 months now, has since passed her level 2 apprenticeship with distinction and is now studying for her level 3 business administration apprenticeship.

On top of this, Evie was successful in securing a substantive part-time role at SaTH that she does alongside her apprenticeship as a health records administrator.

Josh Harrison already worked at SaTH as a medical laboratory assistant, and during a conversation with his training manager, he became aware that the organisation offered apprenticeships.

After having a look, he came across the level 6 healthcare science (blood science) apprenticeship.

The 25-year-old said: “As soon as I heard about this apprenticeship, it really piqued my interest. I had always wanted to be a scientist since I’d started as an assistant in the lab.

"It seemed like a no-brainer to me because it was a good way to progress, get the job I want as well as earn money at the same time.”

Josh’s apprenticeship started in 2018 and over the four years he continued improving his maths and English skills, undertook regular online learning and ongoing practical work to put his new-found skills to practice.

He completed his apprenticeship in summer 2022 when he was offered a permanent role as a biomedical scientist.

Josh said: “The apprenticeship was an incredible opportunity for me. I got to learn on the job, develop my knowledge and skills and put them into practice. It was fantastic to be able to put my learning and lab experience together.

"I really feel as though I got the most out of it and it’s how I got to where I am today. It’s set me up perfectly for the world of work and I couldn’t be more grateful.”

Josh now plans to focus on haematology and work his way up the career ladder.

For further information about apprenticeships at SaTH, visit jobs.sath.nhs.uk/find-job/apprenticeships or call Judith Tudor, talent and succession manager, on 01952 641222 ext 2956 (email: judithc.tudor@nhs.net).

You can also set up an alert for when vacancies are advertised throughout the year.