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National Apprenticeship Week, 7 to 13 February

07 February 2022 - Find out what it is like to be an apprentice at King's, and the career opportunities apprenticeships can open up

National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) is a week dedicated to shining a light on the positive impact that apprentices make to individuals, businesses and the wider economy.

King’s has run successful apprenticeship programmes for over ten years, recruiting young people into clinical and administration roles across the Trust whilst also giving current members of staff the opportunity to upskill themselves. The apprenticeships provide opportunities for young people to gain entry routes into the NHS and work towards a nationally recognised qualification. We have people undertaking apprenticeships from level 2 up to level 7.

At King’s we take great pride in all our apprentices, and there are currently over 200 at the Trust. Our apprenticeships cater to everyone’s needs and they are offered to all staff members, regardless of band, age or position, to help people learn a wide range of skills.

In line with our new five-year strategy, Strong Roots, Global Reach, we commit to delivering high-quality education and training throughout people’s careers, offering continuous personal and professional development opportunities.

To mark National Apprenticeship Week, we are sharing the experiences of three of our apprentices at King’s:

Rachel Reece started her Level 3 HR CIPD apprenticeship journey in September 2020.

Rachel was a Medical Staffing Recruitment Coordinator at the Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH)/PRUH when she first started the programme, but she has since completed a 6-month secondment in Medical Workforce at King’s College Hospital/the Denmark Hill site, and has now been appointed to the role of Assistant HR Business Partner for the PRUH and South Sites.

Rachel said: “I have found working in conjunction with studying manageable, with the great support from both my line manager and my course tutor. My advice to others undertaking an apprenticeship would be to start gradually working on their assignments after each training session has been delivered while it is fresh in their memory.

“I am looking forward to finishing my Level 3 course later this year and am already planning on enrolling on the Level 5 course.”

Rebecca is currently studying on our Trainee Nursing Associate programme, having joined the apprenticeship programme in June 2021.

Speaking about her apprenticeship, Rebecca said: “Apprenticeships are a great way to learn as it is a good combination of classroom and work-based learning. You are never too old to learn something new, if you want to learn and progress an apprenticeship is the best way to do so.

“Once I qualify as a Nursing Associate I am hoping to continue my learning and complete the Registered Nurse top up course to become a qualified registered nurse.”

David is currently the Head of Social Work at King’s and for the last two years has been studying for his Masters in Business Administration (MBA) as part of King’s Apprenticeship Programme.

“The apprenticeship route allows staff to have access to protected time during their working hours to undertake learning that meets the criteria for the apprenticeship part of the programme.” David said. “The spectrum of learning available at King’s is incredibly diverse and so many colleagues have contributed towards my development as a leader.

“In terms of next steps, the MBA will tick a hugely personal objective for me in the form of matching my wider family members post graduate qualifications, however I am keen to continue my learning and development and see what the future holds in terms of new opportunities as part of Team King’s.”