Apprenticeship Week

NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly has been shining a light on the positive impact of its many apprenticeship opportunities during National Apprenticeship Week 2023.

Apprenticeships offer routes into more than 350 careers across the NHS, from frontline care roles like nursing to jobs in plumbing, admin, finance and IT.

Apprenticeships are available at many different levels. They start from level 2, which is equivalent to GCSE, all the way to level 7, which is equivalent to a master’s degree.

Kara’s story

Kara Clennell-Procter is a staff nurse in the emergency department at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro.

Kara was working in retail when, after needing emergency surgery, she decided to change careers and “give something back” to the NHS.

Despite several challenges along the way, Kara made it onto the apprenticeship programme and worked her way up to an assistant practitioner. At age 40, she achieved a 1st in her degree and became a staff nurse.

Here is Kara’s story:

The theme of National Apprenticeship Week 2023 was ‘skills for life’ and the NHS held several events for people to find out about current and future opportunities.

Jo Tomlinson, Lead People Partner for NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board, said: “It has been a fantastic, fun-filled National Apprenticeship Week, with face-to-face events, webinars and celebration events.

“Last academic year a whopping 2,877 NHS apprentices were enrolled across the south west, and this week has been a chance to celebrate and showcase just a few of the fresh opportunities available.

“We hope that this year we will see apprenticeship numbers rise even further”. You can find out more about apprenticeships within the health service on the NHS website.