North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) is proud to celebrate the hundreds of apprentices working and learning as we enter National Apprenticeship Week (5 – 11 February 2024).

The service recognises the benefits that apprenticeships can provide the organisation and individuals, maybe starting their career, changing their career, or even looking for the opportunity to upskill.

The most popular opportunity is for Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), which is delivered in-house by the NWAS education team. However, apprenticeship roles are not limited to just clinical positions, and people study externally for a number of different qualifications while employed in finance, communications, project management, information and communication technology (ICT) and many more.

Over the last year, 280 apprentices have begun their training with NWAS, with people working in around 20 different roles. In July last year, the first cohorts graduated after completing their paramedic degree apprenticeships. The two-year course was offered for the first time to existing staff in 2021, and this year saw more than 70 start. Of those on the EMT apprenticeship, 85 per cent achieved distinction or merit in their final assessments.

Danielle Soens-Hughes, Head of Learning and Leadership at NWAS, says,
“Apprenticeships are a great, accessible option for people of all ages to launch their careers or upskill at various levels at NWAS.

“We are incredibly proud of what we offer here at NWAS. Not only is the training of high quality, but the flexibility the apprenticeships provide means we are able to attract individuals from a wide range of backgrounds who wouldn’t normally be able to access education or academic institutions. It also allows us to retain and grow our workforce, giving them careers for life.”

Lewis Fouracre joined NWAS as an apprentice EMT and continues to make the most of the career path by completing the paramedic degree apprenticeship. He says, “I have always preferred a hands-on approach when it comes to my own learning. Joining the ambulance service as an Emergency Medical Technician apprentice gave me an insight into the role of a paramedic whilst gaining key skills that would be crucial to working towards that goal. The paramedic science apprenticeship allowed me to continue that journey, ultimately increasing my clinical skills and enhancing the patient care I can deliver.”

This year’s theme for National Apprenticeship Week is “Skills For Life”. Over the next week, we will highlight some of our apprentices demonstrating how they have gained resilience, empathy, self-awareness, communication and decision-making skills. We will also share through our social media channels the thoughts of our senior managers and leaders talking about the importance of learning and the benefits of apprenticeships.

Five reasons why you should consider an apprenticeship with NWAS!

1. It’s a paid job
2. You get high-quality training
3. We have a variety of apprenticeships available
4. It’s rewarding
5. Apprenticeships are award-winning at NWAS, and they keep on getting better!

You can more information on our website at https://www.nwas.nhs.uk/careers/roles/apprenticeships/ , or look out for #SkillsForLife #NAW2024 on our social media channels.