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 and an outline of key responsibilities when an apprentice is on programme.

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

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, offer a streamlined approach.

Yes, training hub is very supportive.

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

Access the 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.

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

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.

Enhanced Services, Increased Capacity and New service delivery.

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.

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.

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

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 gather more Learner Case Studies in 2026.

Employer insights can be found above and on programme pages within the Apprenticeships Comparison Tool.

News and Events

Nursing Associate
Training Grant
2025-26

NHSE training grant of £4,161 per year for up to 2 years, for Nursing Associate apprenticeships intakes from 01 April 2025 – 31 March 2026. Employers must apply for this and have up to the 31 March 2026 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

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) is now open. The deadline to apply is  Friday 27 February 2026. Please find out more here and apply for the funding here.

Nursing
Training Grant
2026-27

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 midday Wednesday 18 March 2026. Please email the training hub apprenticeships team for more details and application instructions.

Building the Future Workforce Employer Event

This employer engagement event will take place at the University of Cumbria Barrow Campus on Tuesday 3 March. It is for various sectors, please find out more here.

Level 7 Tuition Fee Support for 2026 to 2029 intakes

Earlier this year the Government announced that for 2026 intakes onwards employers will not be able to use Levy or Government funds to pay for Level 7 apprenticeship tuition fees. Fortunately, NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care have secured funding to cover the apprenticeship tuition fees for 2026 to 2028-29 intakes for the following Level 7 apprenticeships:

Advanced Clinical Practitioner
Specialist Community Public Health Nurse
Community Specialist Practitioner – District Nurse (update: other pathways will be considered such as General Practice Nursing)
Clinical Associate in Psychology (CAP)
Health & Care Intelligence Specialists (PHIS)

Employers will have to apply for this. Please find details below:

For Advanced Clinical Practitioner Apprenticeship September 2026 – March 2027 intakes: NHSE Faculty for Advancing Practice across the North West expression of interest process for educational training funding for MSc Advanced Clinical Practice routes, is now open. The deadline to apply is  Friday 27 February 2026. Please find out more here and apply for the funding here. The expression of interest is for both the training grant and the tuition fee funding.

For Community Specialist Practitioner GPN Apprenticeship September 2026 intakes: Please complete the NHSE mitigation funding expression of interest form before the closing deadline of 19 November 2025. Please note, NHSE have advised that they do have plans to also offer the CSP Training Grant for 2026 intakes, but no further details have been provided at this time.

To begin applying for a place on the programme itself, please also contact the training hub apprenticeships team on [email protected]

University of Salford's 2026 Enhanced Practice Webinars

Click on the relevant link to find out more and book your place.

Enhanced Practice in Action: The Four Pillars Explained, Tuesday 03 March at 12nooon and Wednesday 25 March at 3pm.
How to Access the Enhanced Practice Apprenticeship -NHS & Independent Sector, Wednesday 08 April at 12noon and Wednesday 22 April at 3pm.

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.

NHSE North West Monthly Apprenticeship Information Webinars

These 1 hour webinars provide the opportunity for anyone new to apprenticeships to develop their knowledge and understanding of apprenticeships, and ask any questions. Each will cover; brief overview of apprenticeships, rules / legal requirements, employer and education provider responsibilities, tuition financial support, pipelines and pathways. The webinar is offered once a month, dates and booking instructions are available here.

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.