Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships provide a way to earn as you learn, no matter what age you are. Find out more about the apprenticeships our NHS trust provides.

Who can be an apprentice?

Anyone aged 16 and above! Apprentices are aged 16 or over and combine working with studying for a work-based qualification.

Apprenticeships are changing and now range from a level 2 to degree level, for example from September 2017 nursing degree apprenticeships will be available.There are many other apprenticeships available too.

Apprentices can be new starters, and current employees can also sign up. You don’t have to be a school leaver and can consider an apprenticeship at any point in your career.

Watch our short video featuring some of our current apprentices.

How many apprentices are there in CNTW and where do they work?

So far we’ve had apprentices in operational admin, recruitment, nurse bank, medical staffing, pharmacy, quality observatory, communications, finance, IT, the Recovery College, transformation, library services, and GP practices via the CCG groups (both health and business admin)… the possibilities are endless.

Since 2013, we’ve supported 282 apprentices, with 92% of them completing their qualification. We’ve been taking on up to 70 apprentices a year, but we are very keen to take on more.

Currently we have 56 apprentices on the programme doing a mixture of level 2, 3 and 4 in business administration. There are a further 12 going through recruitment and a further two places being interviewed for (70 in total). We have four health and social care apprentices, employed as Band 2 or 3 in Health, with seven recent completers.

Ellen Calder started as a Business Administration apprentice and is now working as a Financial Accounting and Salary Sacrifice Co-ordinator. Read more of Ellen’s story here.

How does an apprenticeship help with career development?

The outcomes for our apprenticeships speak for themselves. In 2015/16:

  • 67% gained full time employment within CNTW or another NHS organisation
  • 17% proceeded onto a higher level apprenticeship within CNTW
  • 2% even went onto Higher Education with a university

What costs are associated with the employment of an apprentice?

As well as employment, all apprentices within our organisation are enrolled onto programmes which are delivered by our learning providers.

The apprenticeship programmes are fully funded via the Apprenticeship Levy.

Individuals employed as apprentices must be paid at least the National Minimum Wage, which currently stands at £4.30 per hour.

For more information, please visit the following GOV UK page: https://www.gov.uk/become-apprentice/pay-and-conditions

Our apprentices:

  • work with experienced staff
  • learn job-specific skills
  • study for a work-based qualification during their working week (for example, at a college or training organisation)

Who trains apprentices?

The training department will provide apprentices with all the training required for them to complete. This involves attending college sessions once a month for seven months. The apprentice will also receive one-to-one support from the apprenticeship team. They will develop their work-based skills in their placement, with their department.

All apprentices who start their training after May 1 now need to be released for 20% ‘off the job’ training, which is approximately one day a week.  We have devised a learning log to enable candidates to demonstrate either 7.5 per week or an average of 1.5 hours per day.

Documents/Additional Information

RNDA -5 year - FAQs

Nursing Apprenticeships vs University Degree (2Mb)

Get in touch

If you would like to know more about getting an apprenticeship with CNTW, email Getin2CNTW@cntw.nhs.uk