Apprenticeships

What is an apprenticeship?

An apprenticeship sets people up to achieve their long-term career aspirations. We offer apprenticeships to all. From school leavers looking to start their career to employees wanting to make a change.

We work with learning providers to offer a wide selection of apprenticeship opportunities.

Some programmes are workplace only based. Others need attendance at college or university. All are alongside your role as part of your weekly working hours. Apprenticeships generally take between 12-36 months to complete, depending on the level.

During your apprenticeship, you will have an assessor. You will undertake a combination of workshops, distance learning and self-study. There are a range of policies and procedures relating to apprenticeship courses including:

• Additional support with guidance for reasonable adjustments.
• Appeals process for apprenticeships.
• Break in learning and withdrawing from a programme.
• Complaints procedure for apprentices.
• Conflict of interest approach for all staff involved in an apprenticeship programme.
• Exams policy for all learners required to complete functional skills qualifications
• Learner recruitment process to accept a member of staff onto a programme.
• Malpractice and maladministration delivery standards for apprenticeships.
• Plagiarism policy.

Talent for Care

We have over 500 staff on apprenticeships and we will always use them wherever possible. Our apprenticeships offer work shadowing and rotation and the ability of being flexible.

There are lots of apprenticeships that colleagues can consider as part of their career development.

Level two apprenticeships

• Accounts or finance assistant: Finance career pathway opportunity.
• Customer service practitioner: Corporate Administration and Patient Administration career pathway opportunities.
• Healthcare assistant: Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, and Speech and Language therapy career pathway opportunities.
• Pharmacy services assistant: Pharmacy career pathway opportunity.

Level three apprenticeships

• Business administrator: Corporate Administration and Patient Administration career pathway opportunities.
• Clinical coder: Patient Administration career pathway opportunity.
• Customer service specialist: Corporate Administration and Patient Administration career pathway opportunities.
• Learning and development practitioner: Education career pathway.
• Pharmacy technician: Pharmacy career pathway opportunity.
• Senior healthcare Assistant: Diagnostic Radiographer, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Paediatric Nursing, Physiotherapy, and Speech and Language therapy career pathway opportunities.
• Team leader: Beyond Registration, Corporate Administration, Leadership career pathway opportunities.
• Theatre assistant: Operating Department Practitioner career pathway opportunity.

Level four apprenticeships

• Associate project manager: Leadership career pathway opportunity.
• Learning and skills mentor: Education career pathway opportunity.
• Professional accounting and Taxation technician: Finance career pathway opportunity.

Level five apprenticeships

• Assistant practitioner: Diagnostic radiographer, Paediatric nursing, Occupational therapy, Speech and Language therapy career pathway opportunities.
• Coaching professional: Beyond registration and Education career pathway opportunities.
• Learning and development consultant or Business Partner: Education career pathway opportunity.
• Nursing associate: Nursing career pathway opportunity.
• Operational department manager: Leadership career pathway opportunity.

Level six apprenticeships

• Accounting finance manager: Finance career pathway opportunity.
• Career development professional: Education career pathway opportunity.
• Chartered manager: Beyond registration and Leadership career pathway opportunities.
• Diagnostic radiographer or Therapeutic radiographer: Diagnostic Radiographer career pathway opportunity.
• Enhanced clinical practitioner: Beyond registration career development opportunity.
• Occupational Therapist (top-up): Occupational therapy career development opportunity.
• Operating department practitioner: Operating department practitioner career development opportunity.
• Physiotherapist: Physiotherapy career development opportunity.
• Registered children’s nurse: Paediatric nursing career development opportunity.
• Registered Nurse: Nursing career development opportunity.
• Speech and Language Therapist (top-up): Speech and Language therapy career pathway opportunity.

Level seven apprenticeships

• Accountancy or Taxation professional: Finance career pathway opportunity.
• Advance clinical practitioner: Beyond registration career pathway opportunity.
• Pharmacist: Pharmacy career pathway opportunity.
• Senior leader: Leadership career pathway opportunity.

Case study

Harriet was a chef and equine groomer before she decided to change her career. She joined the NHS through our Community Training Academy. Harriet is now on the road to becoming a radiographer.

“My grandmother was a radiographer, and my sister is a Macmillan nurse at Ipswich Hospital. Yet I hadn’t worked in healthcare before. The academy was great as it was an opportunity to experience working in a variety of areas.

“I applied for a role as an apprentice in diagnostic imaging and got it. I’m really enjoying it. I will continue studying for my foundation degree which I should complete by May 2026.”

Job links

Apprenticeships aren’t always labelled as such when jobs are advertised. If you’re currently working for the Trust there may be an apprenticeship you’d be interested in.

Visit our jobs page for current vacancies