Workforce issues
Transforming mindsets around apprenticeships However, since these plans to train one in six medical professionals through apprenticeships were announced by the NHS last year, the reaction from the media and current medical professionals has been less than favourable to the new entry route. Sceptics have questioned the credibility
of medical apprenticeships, raising concerns that the apprenticeships route won’t generate doctors of the same standard as traditional university degrees. This negative mindset towards apprenticeships as an entry route continues to impede the uptake of learners – and not just across the NHS, but across all professional careers.
As well as being a factually incorrect
perception – medical doctor degree apprentices will have to meet the same criteria set by the General Medical Council as those taking traditional university routes – this mindset holds the sector back from providing a wider and more diverse pool of talent from becoming medical professionals. Many are also concerned about apprentices
lacking support and training due to capacity issues within the NHS. But the NHS already manages this to some degree when allocating
and managing new graduate trainees. Moreover, with shadowing opportunities traditionally offered to medical students towards the end of their education, apprentices will have the upper hand of being acclimatised to the fast-paced working environment of the medical profession from the very beginning of their careers, having a relatively more well-rounded training experience.
The benefits of apprenticeships within the NHS There are a whole host of benefits to the introduction of apprenticeships in the medical industry, which the NHS could unlock with this new method of training future doctors. From a learner’s perspective, they can start earning from an earlier age, while also gaining the medical qualification at a minimal to zero cost. Meanwhile, for the NHS, it will be able to close its skills gaps more efficiently and widen accessibility into the sector to people for whom universities are a barrier. As part of the apprenticeships, the NHS will also be able to set applicant criteria themselves, ensuring that apprenticeships programmes are tailored to their skills gaps and needs, and that the quality of treatment is maintained. Hard-to- fill positions within the NHS could also be filled with the use of apprenticeships, by upskilling
The benefit of being able to earn while you learn, while not needing to pay any training fees, gives people of all backgrounds the ability to receive a degree, thus widening the accessibility to train and work towards a highly skilled career like medicine.
40
www.clinicalservicesjournal.com I June 2024
current staff and developing their careers in niche areas, such as the use of AI in medicine. The benefit of being able to earn while you learn, while not needing to pay any training fees, gives people of all backgrounds the ability to receive a degree, thus widening the accessibility to train and work towards a highly skilled career like medicine. This approach will also help build an NHS
workforce which includes people from various underrepresented groups, creating a more diverse workforce which is more closely representative of the population it treats. Apprenticeships can also offer opportunities for local healthcare providers to collaborate and achieve shared targets around improving treatment quality, reducing waiting times, and enhancing treatment offerings.
Battling misconceptions One of the biggest misconceptions around apprenticeships is that they’re only designed for school leavers, but that’s simply not true anymore. Apprenticeships are for all ages, skill-levels, and backgrounds. They are ideal for re-engaging previous staff who are now out of work, which is a key part of the NHS’s Long-Term Workforce Plan, and provide an opportunity to re-engage and re-train current and former staff, upgrading their qualifications in line with the current skills requirements. Despite the reliability and already paved
traditional route of university education, it is important to note that university may not be the preferable or suitable match for everyone, and that should not obstruct anyone from pursuing the career pathway they wish to pursue – particularly given the workforce challenges facing the NHS.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88
