Our 83 new apprentice starters are bringing enthusiasm and dedication to our clinical areas and are the reason their pioneering organising team scooped a Four Pillars award.

The apprentice team has totally revamped the way we hire and train our apprentices, achieving a fab result in this “must do” area of care.

We achieved Employer Provider status in May 2017 which means we can now deliver apprenticeships in-house which allows the Trust to 'claw back' some of the levy contributions.

So as well as offering a growing number of entry level apprenticeship opportunities for people aspiring to have a career in healthcare, it makes a difference financially.

The team worked hard to create the necessary systems, processes and delivery models which offer a comprehensive programme of training and support for the apprentices, as well as complying with Ofsted and funding requirements that come with being an Employer Provider.

Our contribution to Apprenticeship growth and delivery in the year since the Levy began was recently recognised with an invitation to an event at the House of

Commons

In the last 12 months there have been 83 new starters with all but four staying with the programme.

It’s a tremendous start in healthcare.  100% of apprentices secure employment at CHFT or progress to higher education on successful completion.

And in money terms, it means the Trust will have an income from the levy of more than £200k.

The judges said: “ The achievements of this team should be celebrated as widely as possible.”