Employ an Apprentice - Coventry & Warwickshire Training Hub

Why hire an apprentice?

There are all sorts of potential benefits to taking on an apprentice. According to studies by the British Chambers of Commerce and the Centre for Economic and Business Research, employers feel apprentices help to:

build skills within their organisation
reduce staff turnover
cut recruitment costs
generate a more motivated workforce
increase productivity

In general practice, there are many examples of apprentices making a real difference. Several practices in our patch have experience of employing apprentices and are very positive about the benefits they bring to their practice. To find out more, read our case studies below [anchor link to below ‘case study’ section].

“Our recent apprentice quickly took on some proactive projects. We’ve seen a huge improvement in engagement with patients and the take up of health checks as a result. We simply wouldn’t have had the time to focus on these without her.”

Tim Morris, Practice Manager, Waterside Medical Centre

How do we go about taking on an apprentice?

There are many different organisations which can provide information, advice and support with taking on an apprentice.

As a first step, visit the National Apprenticeship Service website for more information about apprenticeships in England.

For specific advice and support for healthcare employers, contact the National Skills Academy which provides free advice and guidance on all aspects of employing apprentices, including advice on funding, grants and training providers. There is also local support through their Excellence Coordinators as well as a number of Health Education England funded Community Education Provider Networks, which will have increasing responsibility for engaging with NHS primary care community providers around workforce planning, education and training.

I would highly recommend the process as it adds so much to our team and practice.”
– Tom Ganner, Practice Manager, Rother House Medical Centre

Health Education England and Skills for Health have developed a set of standards to ensure excellent practice in apprenticeship provision across UK health care organisations. You may also find this Apprenticeships in Primary Care Information Pack useful.

“Rother House has now employed seven apprentices over the last two years. We have managed to offer permanent positions to most people that have been through the scheme. For those that have moved on we have been able to provide support and guidance into their next jobs. It is truly delightful to see these young unconfident people start and develop so quickly to become confident, important and valued members of the team. I would highly recommend the process as it adds so much to our team and practice.”

– Tom Ganner, Practice Manager, Rother House Medical Centre

Common misconceptions

Here we look at the main reasons practices might think apprenticeships are not right for them. We’re not suggesting it’s the easiest route to take but the vast majority of employers see a positive impact.

There are many benefits to taking on an apprentice but you might be put off by the thought of how much time it’s going to take, or whether they would be able to deliver the service you need. Plus, it can be difficult to know where to start and where to go for more information

We haven’t got time to train an apprentice

It’s true, you will need to invest some time in training an apprentice but it’s the same for any new employee who needs an induction and supervision. While you will need to show them the ropes, particularly at the beginning, they should soon be able to work on certain projects independently, freeing up more of your time to concentrate on other things.

There are some practical steps you can take to make training as efficient and effective as possible, such as:

Sharing the responsibility of training among the team, so it doesn’t always fall to one person. Plus, it gives the apprentice experience of all aspects of the practice.
Getting organised – plan in advance so you can give clear instructions and help to promote independent working.
Have a bank of tasks which need minimum training so that there is always something for your apprentice to do if you are caught up with other things.
Think about those projects which always fall to the bottom of the pile because you don’t have time to focus on them. Is there something that could save you time in the long run, if someone was able to set it up? Is that something they can help with?
Don’t forget to make the most of their knowledge. Your apprentice may well be a whizz with technology or have previous experience of working with the public.

It’s too much hassle to sort out

It’s actually relatively straightforward to take on an apprentice; it’s no harder than recruiting for a standard position. Plus, there are many organisations which can help with the recruitment and employment of apprentices on your behalf, taking on the HR and performance management responsibilities.

While you will need to cover the apprentice’s salary, there is funding available from the government to help cover training costs. The National Skills Academy for Health is currently working with Health Education England to enable primary care employers to access training and gain qualifications for support staff in their organisation through the use of apprenticeship qualifications.

It’s a waste if they leave

Apprenticeships last between 1-4 years, so they are with you for a good length of time. Plus, over 70% of apprentices stay with the same employer at the end of the scheme and make fantastically loyal employees. Although you are not under any obligation to offer your apprentice a permanent position, many practices experience such positive outcomes with growing their own talent, they are keen to keep hold of their apprentices if they have a position available.

They’ll lack motivation and skills

Most employers find that apprentices are keen to learn and to work, bringing energy and enthusiasm to their role. They might not know much about your practice when they arrive but that’s the same for any new employee. As long as you give them clear guidance about what to do and what you expect of them, they should soon fit in with the rest of your team.

As well as bringing their existing skills, they will receive formal training with a provider alongside work-based training, so they will be able bring the latest in academic ideas and research to your practice and combine it with practical knowledge. Employers often find that apprentices bring a fresh perspective and offer valuable challenge to the way they do things.

“Recruiting via the apprenticeship scheme has revolutionised our staff culture. These staff are initially working for very low wages but they come into work with enthusiasm, energy and are reliable. They have completely changed the front facing relationship with patients to a positive, helpful and engaging one. Our commitment to them is that if they do well, work hard and complete the apprenticeship study, we aim to offer permanent employment. We also aggressively increase their wages quarterly to incentivise and reward them for their progress.”

– Tom Ganner, Practice Manager, Rother House Medical Centre

For further information and guidance about appointing an apprentice, including advice on funding and grants, please contact us at cw.traininghub@nhs.net.

Case Studies

Rother House Medical Centre, Stratford-upon-Avon

Tom Ganner, Practice Manager, explains how recruiting an apprentice can be quicker and easier than conventional recruitment and talks about the positive impact apprentices have made to their practice.

Read more about their experience of apprenticeship

Having faced a recruitment crisis a couple of years ago, Rother House Medical Centre completely redesigned its approach to hiring new staff and started making full use of the apprenticeship scheme. Seven apprentices later, the practice has seen a dramatic improvement in patient relationships and staff morale and believes every practice should consider the scheme.

Tom Ganner, Practice Manager at Rother House in Stratford-upon-Avon, recruited his first apprentice two years ago. With three apprentices in post currently, and a further three having completed the scheme, Tom believes apprentices are a great way forward for other practices.

“Recruiting an apprentice is far quicker and easier than conventional recruitment. We work with an organisation that does all the advertising and initial shortlisting for us, as well as arranging all the training. Having drafted an initial job description, we simply use the same summary every time we recruit. There are no advertising fees and interviews are quick to complete.

“We have just taken on a new apprentice and the recruitment process from advert to appointment took less than one week.”

With apprentices being more affordable, the practice has been able to inject some additional slack into the team which means they are more able to cope with peaks in demand or sudden team changes. Many of the apprentices now work full time at the practice, while one works at a local dispensary.

Tom has found recruiting apprentices to be extremely rewarding. “In interview, these individuals are often quite shy and lacking in confidence. In our experience, however, within three months they blossom into confident, capable members of the team and very quickly provide invaluable support to practice staff and patients.

Although the practice has found that more pastoral care can be needed to support apprentices as they get used to their new role, the team also believes the apprentices have brought a fresh perspective and have proved to be adept at neutralising challenging situations with patients. “Our apprentices have a naturally friendly and open attitude. We have found they have dealt with challenging situations with real maturity and this has been reflected in improvements in patient satisfaction.” Tom said.

Overall, the mix of ages and experience across the practice team has been beneficial to morale and helped support a shift in culture to a more patient-focused service.

“We have worked with a number of apprentices over the last two years. Based on our experience I would recommend any practice gives this scheme a try – it is highly probably that recruiting an apprentice will have a very positive impact on their practice.” Tom concluded.

Waterside Medical Centre, Leamington Spa

Tim Morris, Practice Manager, talks about the tangible difference apprentices can make, having seen big improvements in the take-up of health checks and engagement with patients in their practice.

Interested in hiring an apprentice?

For further information and guidance about appointing an apprentice, including advice on funding and grants, please contact us at cw.traininghub@nhs.net.