Trailblazers: a 10-year summary of our work on healthcare apprenticeships in England
Over 10 years ago, apprenticeships became a flagship policy for the UK Government. The Prime Minister at the time pledged to create 3 million apprenticeships by 2020 and the NHS in England had already begun contributing by committing to doubling its Apprenticeship numbers by 2016. Alongside these targets, the Government also initiated significant reforms in how apprenticeships were defined and funded in England.
The need
In 2012, Doug Richard was tasked with conducting an independent review of apprenticeships. Dubbed the “the Richard Review of Apprenticeships”, it looked at the future of apprenticeships in England; aiming to identify best practice and ensure that apprenticeships meet the needs of the changing economy; deliver the qualifications and skills employers need to world class benchmarks; and to ensure that government is maximising the impact of public investment in apprenticeships. Richard reported back with recommendations set to make apprenticeships more rigorous and more responsive and, notably, focussing on putting employers in control of the system.
The Government responded positively, positioning apprenticeships as a central pillar in efforts to raise the nation’s skill levels and deliver strong returns for the economy, employers, and apprentices alike.
The solution
Apprenticeships were redefined to become more rigorous and more responsive to the needs of a broader range of employers, with an increased emphasis on outcomes.
A suite of apprenticeship standards was created and aligned to healthcare occupations from level 2 to level 7. Groups of employers, known as ‘Trailblazers’ designed the standards, assessment plans, and quality assurance needed to replace the older Apprenticeship Frameworks, part of a wider reform aiming for full implementation by September 2017.
Skills for Health provided facilitation, advice and guidance for individual Trailblazer groups ensuring a smooth path to approval of standards, advocating for the sector, challenging when needed and influencing policy to ensure the NHS could make the most of the reforms.
Standards were created by healthcare Trailblazers with other non-clinical apprenticeship standards to create online resources contextualised for the NHS that included:
- One-stop tool for employers
- Searchable database of standards
- Dynamic career pathways tool
- Links to pre-apprenticeship routes
- Contextualised guidance to support with English and maths
- Case studies.
As the Sector Skills Council for healthcare occupations, we have a long-standing relationship with employers on the design, on-going management and certification of apprenticeship frameworks. Funded by Health Education England, we managed the development of these standards, hosted consultation activities, and provided expert advice and guidance when employers sought input.
The impact
The NHS now contributes £220 million per year in apprenticeship levy.
Whilst in the early years of the levy, it was widely reported that significant amounts of monies were unspent, this changed through the life of the Trailblazer programme and in recent years it is estimated that the NHS spends 80% of its levy. This means that the programme has supported employers to bring significant monies back into the sector.
The programme engaged hundreds of employers, sitting alongside and creating apprenticeships with professional and regulatory bodies, training providers and assessment organisations.
There are now over 40 apprenticeship standards approved for delivery for healthcare occupations, from Healthcare Support Worker at level 2 to Advanced Clinical Practitioner at level 7. Creation of degree apprenticeships for the regulated healthcare occupations was novel and has opened up opportunities for progression for those who may not have traditionally been able to go university.
The NHS is the nation’s biggest trainer of apprentices, with up to 25,000 enrolled each year. By helping to widen the range of high-quality apprenticeships, the programme has strengthened this talent pipeline. Retention figures show that 90% of apprentices stay in the NHS1, meaning that over a 10-year period, up to 225,000 apprentices are likely to have gone on to build successful and rewarding careers in healthcare.
As a result of the trailblazers programme, employers are in a much stronger position, able to take full advantage of apprenticeships to deliver the qualifications and skills they need, while also strengthening the NHS workforce for the future.