It’s National Apprenticeship Week at DHU so once again we’re taking a look at the work done by our apprentices and catch up with some of those we spoke to last year who have since become permanent colleagues.
Apprenticeships are a great way for those looking to learn on the job either straight from school, changing career or looking to develop within an organisation. There are a number of opportunities across DHU, both clinically and non-clinically, and we will be exploring some of those, speaking to apprentices and their line managers to find out what they bring to DHU and how they hope to use it to forge a new career.
But first, to introduce you to our apprentices and the way they are used at DHU Healthcare, we spoke to April Francis, DHU’s Senior HR Business Partner for Corporate Services, who oversees our apprenticeship programmes.
April said: “We hold our apprentices and the work they do in very high regard here at DHU, career progression and the ability to offer that first step on the career ladder is important to us and to those we recruit. Our Apprentice roles are recruited both internally and externally, usually for an individual looking to change their career by learning a new trade, skill or gaining qualifications to progress. It’s a way of learning whilst actively doing the job so appeals to those looking for practical experience. Not everybody is comfortable with classroom or lecture-based learning so this form of further education bridges the gap between leaving education and starting a career.
“An apprenticeship is different in that a current employee may want to explore an element of their role in more depth to enhance a particular skill. Again, it’s done whilst continuing in their current role, but the theory and assessments they do alongside that enables them to gain more experience, enhancing their skillset and developing the role. It’s a chance for the individual to gain a fresh perspective on how to work within their role whilst the employer can identify and fill a gap in their workforce through career development.
“We do both at DHU across multiple areas, from finance and business admin to clinical roles and IT. Some employers use the term ‘grow your own’ which is a good way of describing it and we’re very proud that some of our apprentices have joined us full time, proving they can do the job whilst we’re able to prove to them that we’re willing to invest in their future with us. It is a major commitment though, additional work on top of your day job with 20 per cent of it ‘off the job’ that can intrude on your ‘free time’ so, committing to an apprenticeship is committing yourself to a great deal of time working on your own development.
“For us at DHU, it’s a financial commitment investing in developing an individual’s skills. DHU does pay into the Apprenticeship Levy, topped up by ten per cent from the Government that helps to fund apprenticeship programmes and make them more attractive to employers. By accessing this, DHU puts our faith in its people to complete the course, improving career opportunities, development and providing DHU with a more skilled workforce.
“We are developing a strong tradition of bringing in apprentices and pleased to see so many stay with us because they learn about our values and enjoy the way we approach career development. It really is a case of you get out of it what you are prepared to put in. To any apprentices who have joined in the past year, I’d like to welcome you to DHU and hope that the experience is exactly what you were hoping for.”
To find apprentice opportunities near you, visit the national site here or visit the DHU careers page here for more opportunities.
You can find out more about some of the apprentices and apprenticeships we currently have at DHU through a series of articles that we have outlined below. Each one will take you to a colleague who is currently an apprentice, undertaking an apprenticeship or has been an apprentice and secured full time employment with us.