North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust has pledged its support for apprentices as part of National Apprenticeship Week (3rd - 7th February).
The campaign, coordinated by the National Apprenticeship Service, celebrates apprentices and the positive impact they have on organisations and the wider economy. NCIC is a firm supporter of apprenticeships and currently employs 200 apprentices with vacancies being advertised throughout the year on the NHS Jobs website.
Molly Dargue, first joined the Trust in 2017 as an apprentice Engagement and Communications Administrator. After qualifying she gained the skills and qualifications to get a full time job as Integrated Care Communities (ICC) Team Secretary and Risk Systems Assistant. As her fixed term contact was coming to an end, she began looking for a new job within the Trust and is now training as Health Care Assistant. She said:
“I’ve always been interested in healthcare and nursing but I didn’t want to move away to university. After a conversation with one of the team leads for district nursing, I realised that the time was right for me to change career and do something that I’d always wanted to do.
“I came across a role for Community Health Care Assistant within Eden ICC, took a chance, applied for the role and was lucky enough to be offered the post. This role will help me to continue building my administrative skills gained from both my apprenticeship and other roles in the Trust to support the District Nursing team and gain valuable experience in a healthcare setting such as learning clinical skills and undertaking my Care Certificate.
“I hope to undertake the Registered Nursing Apprenticeship in the future and continue my career within the Penrith District Nursing team.”
Jean Hill, Learning & Development Manager/Apprenticeship Lead at North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust said:
“Apprenticeships are an ideal way to learn while working in a real job alongside highly skilled and experienced staff. All apprentices at NCIC have a named mentor who provides advice and guidance throughout the apprenticeship as well as receiving dedicated support from our practice education and vocational learning teams.
“Each apprentice works towards a nationally recognised qualification whilst also being paid which is a great bonus! Apprenticeships cover a wide range of careers at various levels which help us “grow our own” workforce for the future.”
Suzanne Hamilton, Head of Continuous Improvement and Development, a t North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust said:
“Apprenticeships are a great path for people at any stage of their career from those starting out, to those re-entering the workforce, or those wanting to reskill or change careers.
“Good quality education and development are fundamental to providing our services and in particular, to continually improving the experience of patients. At the Trust we are committed to providing education, training and development that enable us to deliver safe and compassionate care.
“National Apprenticeship Week is a great opportunity for us to celebrate our apprentices and recognise the positive impact they have.”
The Trust offers range of apprenticeships, including:
- Registered Nurse Degree
- Nursing Associate
- Pharmacy
- Business Administration
- Customer Services
- HR
- IT
- Project Management, plus more.
To find out more contact: apprenticeships@ncic.nhs.uk