NATIONAL SKILLS ACADEMY FOR HEALTH AND HEALTH EDUCATION ENGLAND LAUNCHES QUALITY PRINCIPLES FOR NHS APPRENTICESHIPS
Today (11 April), the National Skills Academy for Health and Health Education England have launched a new set of principles to ensure excellent practice in Apprenticeship provision across UK health care organisations. Health Education England commissioned the National Skills Academy for Health to develop the Principles, which were subsequently approved by their Executive Team on the 4th April.
The Quality Principles for NHS Apprenticeships have been compiled following detailed discussions and insights from healthcare employers, learning providers and apprentices themselves.
The 21 principles are structured around three main themes; embedding apprenticeships in your organisation’s workforce strategy, securing management commitment and effective learning programmes and processes. Each principle is backed up with real-life examples and offers advice on implementation and issues to be aware of.
The Principles for NHS Apprenticeships are drawn from the experience of existing health organisations and aim to offer support to those already invested in apprenticeship schemes and employers looking to launch an apprenticeship programme of their own.
A robust apprenticeship programme ensures new recruits get the best start to their careers and existing healthcare employees can continue to develop their skills. The new principles identify the vital features of successful high-quality apprenticeships in health organisations; putting them into practice across healthcare organisations will raise ambition and secure consistent standards.
National Lead for Apprenticeships, Talent for Care, Widening Participation and Volunteering at Health Education England, Kirk Lower said: “We want our workforces to be provided with the right skills and values, to better meet the needs of patients now and in the future and supporting the development of apprenticeships is one way of making sure this moves forward.
We commissioned the principles set out in this guidance and they are specific to the delivery of healthcare Apprenticeships. They should be considered alongside Health Education England’s existing Education Quality Framework to ensure a high standard of training is consistently delivered.”
Director of the National Skills Academy for Health, Candace Miller, said: “Our vision, and that of the employers we work with, is to create a qualified and transferable workforce, with every individual recognised and valued for the skills they have, and encouraged and enabled to develop the skills they want and need.
“These principles will help those already engaged in Apprenticeship training to develop their practice further. Those new to Apprenticeships may also benefit from additional support to help plan and implement their own approaches, but the principles will help by making clear the standards to which they should aspire.”
To download the Quality Principles for NHS Apprenticeships, click here.
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