People of Morecambe Bay will be able to find out more about the types of apprenticeships and vocational qualifications that University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT) has to offer during National Apprenticeship Week (NAW), which runs from Monday 5 - Friday 9 March 2018.
The Trust announced the launch of two ground-breaking apprenticeship schemes back in January and was delighted to welcome 27 apprentices on a Nursing Degree and six apprentices on a Healthcare Science Associates programme. The schemes, both of which are among the first of the kind in the UK, are being run in partnership with University of Cumbria and Kendal College.
Kimberley Griffiths, a Microbiology Lab Assistant at Furness General Hospital, started studying on the Healthcare Science Associate Apprenticeship in January, and said: “It’s brilliant. Older students and mature students have families and other commitments, but this apprenticeship allows us to better ourselves, prepare for our future, without it affecting our family.”
The Trust currently has 79 apprentices, and this year, it is offering a range of vocational qualifications and apprenticeships in the following roles:
Registered Nurse Degree
Clinical healthcare support workers
Healthcare Science Associates
Business admin
Catering assistant
Estates and maintenance assistant.
Jenson Moon, 17, of Lancaster, who is a business administration apprentice at the Trust, said: “Undertaking a business apprenticeship at UHMBT has given me the opportunities and experience to thrive as a person and as an employee. In addition to the professional qualifications I have gained, I have become a happier, healthier and more confident young person. “I have met people from a range of backgrounds and cultures, and they all share the same desire to create a friendly, caring environment for staff and patients. I am so glad that I can be a part of this amazing community and I cannot wait to continue to flourish within the Trust.”
Alongside the information stalls, there will also be special celebration events inviting people to come and share quotes about the importance of the apprentices in their organisations, which will be used to create a ‘Grow our Own’ display. Tea and cake will be provided.
They will be held at:
Westmorland Bite Restaurant at Westmorland General Hospital on Thursday 8 March from 12pm-2pm
Lonsdale Grill at Furness General Hospital on Wednesday 7 March from 12pm-2pm
Royal Lancaster Infirmary’s Skylight Restaurant on Friday 9 March from 12pm – 2pm
Other activities include a ‘Day in the Life of’ where we will follow one of our apprentices around for the day documenting them carrying out their role, and communications teams from Bay Health and Care Partners will be highlighting some of the apprentice roles in their organisations.
Ruth Keeler, Bay Health and Care Partners Business Partner, said: “We have some fantastic events going on throughout the week and we would encourage everyone to come along and find out more. We will be attending local colleges to support some apprenticeship specific evenings and we are creating an apprenticeship booklet with information from all of our partners. In a few weeks, we are hoping to hold 10kTalks with local schools and bring along a range of apprentices to share their learning and begin to create more of those relationships.”