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6th February 2012
How to run a successful apprenticeship programme
Dawn Grant, lead nurse for healthcare assistants at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital (NHS Foundation Trust), explains how a new apprenticeship programme helped improve service and deliver cost savings.
Faced with the seemingly paradoxical challenge of improving the service we offer while delivering significant efficiencies, we realised we had to up-skill our frontline healthcare assistants. Not least because a review of roles, in keeping with the Government’s Agenda for Change, showed there were several opportunities to employ Band 2 or 3 healthcare assistants where Band 5 nurses might previously have been employed.
Our old NVQ provider wasn’t giving us the support we needed, so after clearly defining roles, job descriptions and career pathways for all healthcare assistants, we decided to go down the apprenticeship route.
We wanted our first apprenticeship development programme to be really successful and create momentum, so selected those individuals who were both most keen to take part and best supported by their managers. To accelerate the candidates’ ability to add value to the organisation, we appointed UH Ventures, jointly run by the University of Hertfordshire and Exemplas, as our apprenticeship provider. We were particularly impressed by their willingness to deliver all the training and assessment on site, working in partnership with us to tailor development to our particular needs.
After conducting literacy and numeracy tests, to see who had the basic skills required to take part, we ended up with a real mix of 12 apprentices. Some were young new recruits with no experience, while others were 50-year-old employees with qualifications from outside the UK. The decision to open up the scheme to older workers obviously impacted on the funding available but we were keen to be as inclusive as possible in our drive to up-skill staff.
All the apprentices were then put through a day-long module every month, further numeracy and literacy training and a three-hour observation and assessment later in the month. Our chief executive Heather Lawrence, a nurse by training herself, attended the first workshop to demonstrate support from the top, which made the candidates feel even more excited about being given this opportunity.
The apprenticeship scheme has had such a positive impact on employee engagement and skills that we also launched an apprenticeship for maternity support workers. All 18 apprentices have really stepped up a level, so much so that we’re considering promoting some of them to Grade 4 roles. The maternity support workers are now skilled to do so much more, from taking blood and inserting catheters to helping new mothers breastfeed. Patients feel much more supported, taking the pressure off our qualified nurses and midwives so they can prioritise administering drugs, discharging patients, healthcare planning and many more tasks that only a qualified nurse can do.
Overall, the apprenticeship programme has enabled us to reduce costs, up-skill staff, boost engagement and improve service. Going forward, we want to make it the standard by which we develop all our healthcare assistants and have new plans to launch a Paediatric apprenticeship as well.
The key success factors were:
- Ensure the first candidates are likely to succeed
- Get managers to provide their full support
- Encourage sponsorship at the highest level
- Find a development partner that will tailor learning
- Reward successful apprentices with promotion
Dawn Grant is lead nurse for healthcare assistants and volunteers at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust [www.chelwest.nhs.uk]
1st December 2011
Celebrating Qualification Success in Hatfield
Last week, people from all over the region came together at the University of Hertfordshire, in Hatfield, to celebrate their achievement of vocational qualifications, including Apprenticeships, in a wide range of skills.
The UH Ventures Qualifications Centre Annual Awards Ceremony celebrated the fantastic achievement of its students in vocational qualifications. 55 people gained qualifications in subjects including Business and Administration, Customer Services, Health and Social Care, Leadership and Management in Care Services, and Health competencies including Clinical and Peri-operative support.
During the last year, the UH Ventures Qualifications Centre has been working with local and national employers to up-skill their staff to achieve nationally-recognised qualifications in line with Government’s push towards achieving Apprenticeships and other vocational qualifications whilst in employment.
Bob Crowhurst of Lynx Security Services, spoke about the value of the qualifications for his staff, “As an employer I very much value these awards. They tell me that the person coming to join my team is competent in the sector, that he also has the drive and will power to complete and succeed in a course of actions and instructions and that he can articulate and demonstrate his/her ability.”
Norman Jennings, Director of Skills Development for Exemplas (part of the University of Hertfordshire Group of Companies), expressed his delight at the learners’ successes, “We are pleased to be able to recognise the achievements of the students, studying for new skills, knowledge and even careers is often daunting however doing so whilst working really does demonstrate commitment and dedication and our students should be rightly proud of their achievements. For many this is either the start or a point on a journey to further develop their skills and UH Ventures are ideally placed to assist in their progression to higher level skills.”
Norman’s sentiments were echoed by Judy Crisp, who completed Level 2 and Level 3 National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) in Business Administration. She is among many whose qualifications are part of a longer learning arc, with some achieving their qualifications as part of an ongoing Apprenticeship, or progressing into further education. Judy is among the latter, now studying Business and Marketing at the University of Hertfordshire. “Without the support and dedication of UH Ventures, I would not have been able to pass my qualification within the short amount of time that I did. If it wasn’t for their ‘can do’ attitude, I would not have been able to get onto my course at University.”
If you’re either an individual interested in vocational skills and training, an employer whose staff could benefit from vocational work-based learning, you can find out more at www.uhventures.co.uk or by calling 01707 398793.
11th February 2011
Will Apprenticeships save recruitment costs in the retail sector?
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9th February 2011
The Government wants to fund an extra 100,000 apprenticeships by 2014, and is even stumping up an extra £222m in cash...
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7th February 2011
Management Today gives you top tips on how to set up an successful apprenticeship scheme in your business.
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Click here to find out how McDonalds is celebrating National Apprenticeship Week
National Apprenticeship Week gives the Government an opportunity to put its weight behind Apprenticeship schemes
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HR Magazine says that employers are increasingly recruiting apprentices but that the Government should make the recruitment process simpler. Having problems recruiting an apprentice? Speak to UH Ventures today to see how we can make it easier for you.
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20th January 2011
John Hayes delivers a new quality guarantee for apprenticeships
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24th November 2010 UH Ventures holds its Qualifications Centre Awards Ceremony
The Qualifications Centre held their first Awards Ceremony this week. This celebrated the success of vocational learning.
There was a great turnout. Our Chief Executive, John Collier, presented 40 candidates with their certificates.
The learners treated the event very seriously, often bringing a number of family members to watch them receive their certificates. In addition, lots of people mentioned that receiving their qualification had given them a thirst for learning and the impetus to take further higher vocational or academic qualifications.
3rd November 2010
The Government puts its money where its mouth is when it comes to apprenticeships
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28th October 2010
Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals see the benefits of taking on apprentices
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5th October 2010
Why taking on apprentices make financial sense for your business
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27th August 2010
Find out why taking on an apprentice could be better than recruiting a graduate
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