6th February 2025
To celebrate National Apprenticeship Week, we’re shining a light on some of our occupational therapy degree apprentices as they near graduation.
The Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust (NCA) offers a range of apprenticeships in a variety of roles, including nursing, therapy, administration and IT.
In 2022, the Trust was one of the first NHS providers in the north west to support a degree apprenticeship in occupational therapy, providing routes for experienced therapy assistants to advance their careers as registered healthcare practitioners.
Now just weeks away from graduation, we’re excited to welcome our apprentices back as Band 5 Occupational Therapists.
Kieran, an apprentice on the degree programme said: ‘Completing the Occupational Therapy Apprenticeship with Sheffield Hallam University has been an incredibly rewarding and transformative journey over the past three years. My career began as a band 2 therapy assistant so qualifying as an occupational therapist next month feels very exciting and I’m looking forward to progressing in my career, gaining further expertise, and making a lasting impact.’
Another of our apprentices, Anna, added: ‘I feel very lucky to be part of the first cohort of occupational therapy apprentice graduates in the region. Although the experience has been intense at times, it has been very rewarding, and I am proud to have finished with a recognition award for achieving the highest grade on all my placements. I am very grateful for the opportunity and for being supported by my team. I feel ready and excited to rejoin community neuro rehab at Oldham and begin my occupational therapy career.’
We are committed to continuing to build our apprenticeship offer, diversifying our workforce and supporting our apprentices to get the most out of their experience.
Diane Hooper, allied health professions and healthcare science resourcing lead said: 'By developing talent from within, the NCA has been able to address key skill shortages within departments and give existing colleagues the chance to learn new skills and move into new rewarding careers. If you're eager to grow as an apprentice, start by sharing your ambitions with your manager. If there's a business need - like a skills gap - and the resources to support workplace training, this conversation could open doors to exciting new opportunities!'
We’d like to pass on our congratulations to the following individuals for completing their apprenticeship:
- Elizabeth Irvine: Community Rehabilitation/Falls Team, Supported Discharge, Salford
- Rachael Smith: Neurological Rehabilitation Team, HMR Community Services, Rochdale
- Melanie Jones: HMR Community Stroke Team, Rochdale
- Anna Christie: Community Neurological Rehabilitation Team, Oldham
- Kieran Martin: Integrated Therapy Team, Bury
