Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships are designed to help employers build a workforce with future ready skills and individuals to develop the skills and knowledge required for a rewarding career. They can be used for current staff development and to recruit and develop new staff.

On this page you will find; apprenticeship options, the apprenticeships process, a highlight on upcoming events and useful updates, and further resources.

The Training Hub Apprenticeships Team can be contacted on [email protected]

Apprenticeships are employer-led programmes. The contractual relationship is between the Employer and the Education Provider. The Training Hub provide support to Primary Care Employers with regard to:

Representation of Primary Care apprenticeships at a strategic level for procurement/funding opportunities/levy sharing/ICB priorities
Reporting at regional/national levels
Promotion of Primary Care roles/apprenticeships.

We also support individual applications and provide advice on queries and issues. Please use our Apprenticeships Process (Employer Guide) for a step-by-step guide on applying for an apprenticeship programme and an outline of key responsibilities.

Would You Recommend the Training Hub Apprenticeships Team to Other Primary Care Organisations?

Yes. Throughout our experience, the team has provided clear guidance, practical support, and timely advice, helping us to navigate the apprenticeship process with confidence. Their knowledge of Primary Care settings has been particularly valuable, ensuring that advice is relevant, realistic, and aligned with the pressures of general practice. The team has been supportive at each stage, from initial discussions through to ongoing engagement, and has acted as a helpful point of contact when queries or challenges have arisen. Their approachable and responsive manner has made the process straightforward and has supported both organisational needs and learner development. Overall, the Training Hub Apprenticeships Team has added value by helping to build workforce capability in a structured and supportive way, and we would be happy to recommend them to other practices.

The team provided clear, practical guidance from the initial application stage right through to onboarding and ongoing apprenticeship requirements. Their support made what could have been a complex process feel straightforward and manageable.

Yes, responsive to queries and guided you through the process.

Yes, we would highly recommend the Training Hub Apprenticeships Team to other Primary Care organisations. They have provided clear guidance, efficient coordination, and ongoing support throughout the apprenticeship process, from recruitment and enrolment through to pastoral and academic support for learners. Their understanding of the unique pressures in Primary Care meant they could offer flexible, practical solutions that worked for both our service and our apprentices. The team’s expertise in navigating apprenticeship funding, training provider relationships, and compliance requirements saved us significant time and administrative burden. Importantly, they maintained regular communication and were always approachable and responsive, which helped us keep the programme on track and address any issues promptly. Overall, their involvement has been instrumental in the successful implementation and completion of our apprenticeship programme, and we believe other practices could benefit greatly from their professional yet supportive approach.

Yes - We have felt well supported throughout the process and the apprenticeship has demonstrated clear benefits to our patients, organisation and staff.

Yes, organised and good communication.

Yes, offer a streamlined approach.

Yes. The team has provided clear guidance and structured support throughout the apprenticeship process. Their communication has been timely and responsive, ensuring that both the learner and the organisation understand programme requirements and expectations. Key reasons for our recommendation include: strong administrative support (assistance with documentation, funding requirements, and compliance processes, reducing the administrative burden on the Practice), accessible advice and problem-solving, and workforce development focus. Overall, the Training Hub Apprenticeships Team has helped make the apprenticeship process manageable and beneficial, contributing positively to staff development and service improvement within the Practice.

Yes, training hub is very supportive.

Yes, everything ran smoothly, from recruitment, through the training, up to the end of the apprenticeship.

Yes, responsive to queries and guided you through the process.

Access the full Apprenticeships Comparison Tool here

for more course options, information and how to apply

Feedback from Managers on the benefits an apprenticeship has brought to the organisation:

Apprentice has grown in confidence and is able to see more complex patients under supervision. This has enabled the practice to increase appointments for the on call improving the service to patients.

It has allowed the practice to grow our own Nursing workforce and allowed succession planning.

Developed skills and clinical knowledge, sparked interest in other fields of nursing not previously exposed to, and apprentice gained confidence.

Apprentice's confidence has grown since starting the apprenticeship and is always willing to help-out and do extra, on top of the work tasks from the apprenticeship.

Increased confidence and ability in; Completing and writing contract submissions and returns, managing a GP business and co-ordinating staff to support aspects required for that business to be effective, Being an effective Team Leader, Being more confident in Human Resources and Employment, and Understanding costing implications and how to write a business case.

Developed skills and clinical knowledge, sparked interest in other fields of nursing not previously exposed to, and apprentice gained confidence.

Developed the role of the individual but also helped rebalance workload across the team. Apprentice is now able to assist with more clinical based medical tasks and consult with patients and give information. Their confidence has grown and has the ability to work independently on prescription issues.

Enhanced Services, Increased Capacity and New service delivery.

Improved higher level thinking and the ability to introduce organisational changes.

The benefits that an ACP professional brings to an organisation come from working across the 4 pillars of Advanced Clinical Practice: advanced clinical expertise, evidence-based strategies applied in practice to enhance patient safety and quality of the services provided, initiation of activities to improve gaps in practice, support practice education, working to best practice. The apprenticeship has delivered the outcomes we expected and has had a positive impact across the organisation in several key areas. With ACPs now managing a wider range of presentations independently, we have seen noticeable improvements in patient access, continuity, and the overall quality of care. This directly addressed our need to relieve pressure on GPs while maintaining safe, effective services.

Enabled us to fill a recruitment gap for a practice nurse vacancy, Improved learner confidence and competence, and maintained patient satisfaction through consistency of workforce.

Our apprentice has been an asset to the practice, having them as an apprentice has helped us considerably meet our business needs as it created additional appointments, in turn we have been able to book a variety of patients for our apprentice, and they have gained a lot of confidence doing the different reviews.

Confidence. Leadership. Initiative. Teamwork. We have previously had success in the Business Administration course. We have also a new apprentice on the same course now. Both excelled in the course, have grown in confidence and are a credit to our practice.

Improved patient access to highly trained and skilled clinicians who are able to autonomously treat, assess and manage a variety of presentations.

Member of staff has relieved pressure from the nurse team.

It provides additional support for the qualified Technicians we already have in post - Patients, colleagues and 3rd party organisations (e.g. care homes) are now receiving a better service and improved response times. It has demonstrated a progression pathway for staff in administrative roles to becoming a qualified clinician. Our learner's clinical knowledge is developing along with understanding of processes, other clinical roles and different Pharmacy sectors has also noticeably improved.

''Strengthening workforce capacity and business processes, supporting service improvement, learner confidence and professional development, benefits to patients and service users, organisational culture and staff retention.''

Holistic patient care, Enhancing the nursing team offer, and Saving GP appointments.

Grow Your Own

An apprenticeship requires the apprentice to achieve specific new knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs). The KSBs are outlined for each apprenticeship within the Apprenticeship Standard. All Apprenticeship Standards can be found here.

Using apprenticeships to support workforce supply – NHS Employers
The Value of Apprenticeships in Health and Care – NHS Employers
The Department for Education (DfE) Apprenticeship Rules and Guidance for Employers – All Employers must read, agree to, and keep up to date with the relevant Apprenticeship Funding Rules for each apprentice. The Rules cover various stages in the application process, apprenticeship journey and potential changes along the way, making it a really useful guide for employers. The latest version is available here.

Supporting your Apprentice:

Supporting Your Apprentice (mentoring, performance reviews and wellbeing) – Gov
Improving the Apprentice Experience – Learning and Work Institute Manager’s Guide
Support for Apprentices with a Learning Difficulty or Disability – Gov
NHSE has a corporate Association of Apprentices (AoA) membership. The association offer enhanced experiences for apprentices through the AoA community; with peer-to-peer networking, learning and support. Employers are encouraged to consider this for their apprentices and recommend their apprentices register for free to become an AoA member. Further information and apprentice registration instructions are available via this poster.

Please view our Apprenticeship Vacancy Guide

You may find inspiration for your advert on the GOV apprenticeship vacancies site, as this is where many employers advertise their apprenticeship vacancies.

Recruiting and Retaining Care Leavers:

Young People and Skills Gap:

Foundation Apprenticeships are new, for young people and will have a minimum duration of 8 months. They provide a broad curriculum focusing on job-specific knowledge and skills, while also developing employability skills and behaviours to support the transition from education to work. There are currently 7 foundation apprenticeships including the Health and Social Care Foundation Apprenticeship. Employers can receive up to £2,000 for the first wave of foundation apprenticeships, to help with the costs of taking on a young person and supporting their progression. Please find more information here.
The Open University’s Business Barometer Report May 2025: Skills for Today and Tomorrow – How Employers can Plan for Future Skills. The report includes findings following survey responses from over 2,000 key decision-makers (over half are SMEs) and 1,000 young people.

Open University offer a selection of digital apprenticeships. Find out more about the programmes and pathway options here.

NHSE are continuing to support funded access to Online Revision and Online Examinations in Functional Skills Level 1 and Level 2 in English, Maths and ICT. This is available to all Primary Care staff. See this flyer for further details.

We aim to share more Learner Feedback in 2026.

Click on the link below to read the full case study

Ribbleton Medical Centre – Senior Healthcare Support Worker Apprenticeship

More employer insights can be found earlier within this webpage, and in programme overviews on the Apprenticeships Comparison Tool.

News and Events

Apprenticeship Units

The first wave of apprenticeship units are now available. Apprenticeship units will be on our comparison tool shortly, but in the meantime please find lots of useful information on the government’s webpage.

If you wish to apply for a unit, please email our team on [email protected]

The cost (rate) of apprenticeship units will be 100% funded by the government for non-levy paying employers (most SMEs).

March 2026 Government Announcements

The government has announced further important changes to apprenticeships. For more details please read the Gov press release:

De‑funding of 16 further apprenticeship standards from September 2026 – including Team Leader, Chartered Manager, Coaching Professional, and Operations Manager.
Introduction of the first apprenticeship units – Apprenticeship units are short, training modules – taken directly from existing apprenticeship standards – that focus on a specific skill set. Durations will vary per unit, but are likely to range from one week to a few months.
Additional financial incentives:
- £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant – for organisations that recruit an unemployed person(s) aged 18-24 who has been on universal credit for over 6 months.
- £2,000 Apprenticeship Incentive – for non-levy paying employers (typically SMEs) that recruit person(s) aged 16-24 on to an apprenticeship programme from October 2026 and have been employed for past 3 months i.e. from July 2026.

Nursing Associate
Training Grant
2026-27

ON HOLD

NHSE training grant of £4,161 per year for up to 2 years, for Nursing Associate apprenticeships intakes from 01 April 2026 – 31 March 2027. Employers must apply for this and have up to the 31 March 2027 to do so, however we recommend applying as soon as possible as this training grant is no longer guaranteed. Please contact the training hub apprenticeships team for more details and instructions.

ACP
Training Grant & Tuition Fee
2026-27

REOPENED

NHSE Faculty for Advancing Practice across the North West are pleased to announce their expression of interest process for educational training funding for MSc Advanced Clinical Practice routes (September 2026 – March 2027 intakes) had reopened. The deadline to apply is before 5pm Wednesday 3 June 2026. Please find out more here and apply for the funding here.

Nursing Top-Up
Training Grant
2026-27

REOPENED

NHSE training grant of £9,072 per year for up to 2 years, for Nursing Apprenticeship top-up intakes from 01 September 2026 – 31 March 2027. This is to support the development of Nursing Associates or Assistant Practitioners to Registered Nurses. Employers must apply for the training grant before 31 December 2026. Please email the training hub apprenticeships team for more details and application instructions.

Orthoptist Training Grant 2026-27

Open

NHSE are offering an employer training grant of £8,300 per year (up to 3 years) for each apprentice undertaking the University of Sheffield’s September 2026 Orthoptic degree apprenticeship. Deadline to apply for the training grant is midnight 29 May 2026 – full details and instructions are available here. To apply for the programme itself, please contact the university directly on the details provided within the document.

New - MMU's People Professional Apprenticeship with CIPD level 5

Find out about this programme here. When you are ready to apply, please complete our apprenticeship form – which is found at the bottom of this webpage.

Guidance on Foundation Apprenticeships and the £2,000 Employer Incentive

Foundation Apprenticeships are new, for young people and will have a minimum duration of 8 months. They provide a broad curriculum focusing on job-specific knowledge and skills, while also developing employability skills and behaviours to support the transition from education to work. There are currently 7 foundation apprenticeships including the Health and Social Care Foundation Apprenticeship.

Employers can receive up to £2,000 for the first wave of foundation apprenticeships, to help with the costs of taking on a young person and supporting their progression. Please find more information here.

Interested in utilising the Health and Social Care Foundation apprenticeship in 2026? Lancashire and South Cumbria General Practice and Social Care employers please view this flyer for more details. Please use the form within the flyer to express interest in this route.

Awards

The Chief Nursing Officer and Chief Midwifery Officer Awards

Developed to recognise and reward the significant and outstanding contribution made by student nurses and student midwives in England. For more information, including eligibility and nomination process, please follow this link.

NHS Excellence Awards 2026

A new national platform to recognise the outstanding work taking place across health and care. Find out more and nominate here before 5pm Friday 6 March 2026.

Our Annual Nurses and AHPs Conference Awards 2026

Nominations are open for various awards, including: Apprenticeships, Impactful Contribution to Primary Care, and Team. Nominate via this form before Wednesday 15 July 2026. Find out more about the conference here.

Lancashire and South Cumbria Health and Social Care Apprenticeship Awards 2025

Congratulations to all the Winners, Highly Commended and Shortlisters ✨

Let's Celebrate Together!

Let’s celebrate the brilliant apprentices and employers in our community! Share your comments with us and we’ll feature them on our website and social media.