RD&E celebrates apprentices during National Apprenticeship Week

The work of Apprentices employed at the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust is being celebrated during National Apprenticeship Week 2017 (6th – 10th March).

Apprenticeships play a vital role in helping young people to get a foot on the career ladder and enable employers to develop a skilled workforce for the future. The national event, now in its tenth year, celebrates the important contribution made by apprenticeships and highlights the positive impact they have on individuals, businesses and the wider economy.

The Trust currently employs over 70 Apprentices in a variety of clinical and non-clinical roles with the  majority employed in Level 3 Clinical Healthcare Support and other clinical roles as well as some in  areas such as business administration, accounting, customer service and IT. Thanks to the skills and experience gained throughout their training, many of these Apprentices have gone on to gain further employment with the hospital at the end of their apprenticeship programme. 

One such person is 21 year-old Lorna Cresswell who has been appointed as an Administrative Assistant to the Professional Development Team at the RD&E after completing her apprenticeship in business administration with the Trust.   Lorna said: “My apprenticeship was a lot of hard work but as a whole it has been a huge learning curve. No one treats you like an Apprentice; you are as equal as everyone else. All of the team were great at helping me build my confidence in myself and my work throughout my apprenticeship, and I’m really pleased that I have been able to get a full time job with the department at the end of it.”

RD&E Apprenticeship & Work Experience Advisor Cat Rocks added: “As well as being a great way to pass skills and knowledge on, apprenticeships are a fantastic opportunity for people with limited experience to get a foot on the career ladder in the NHS. Apprenticeships allow us to grow the next generation of our workforce, ensuring that there is not a skills gap when experienced colleagues reach the end of their careers. Apprenticeships are of great benefit both to the NHS and to apprentices.”

• Interested in an Apprenticeship in the NHS? Come and find out more at our information event on Tuesday 7th March from 17.00-20.00 in the RILD building, Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital (Wonford), Barrack Road, Exeter, EX2 5DW. Come and talk to us about the wide range of apprenticeships from Level 2 upwards, in a variety of occupations including Clinical Healthcare Support, Business Administration, IT, Management and Electrotechnical Installation.