Gloucestershire Health and Care (GHC) is celebrating the news that it has been named Large Employer of the Year in this year’s South West Apprenticeship Awards.
Held last night (6 July) at Ashton Gate Stadium in Bristol, the Gloucestershire Live Awards, held in partnership with South Gloucestershire and Stroud College, expanded this year to cover the entire South West.
Celebrating with fellow members of the Apprenticeship team at last night’s awards ceremony was Apprenticeship and Widening Access Lead Rachael Bish. “This is a fantastic achievement for the Trust,” she said. “We were delighted to win Employer of the Year in the 2021 and 2022 Gloucestershire Live Apprenticeship Awards. And this year we were up against employers across all seven of the South West regions, so this is an even greater accolade.
“I would also like to congratulate our finalist in the Apprentice of the Year (Health, Wellbeing and Care) category, Healthcare Assistant Vicky Smith, who works in our Intensive Health Outreach team providing therapeutic relationships to hard-to-reach patient groups. She has worked as a healthcare assistant for 30 years and recently undertook an apprenticeship with GHC to further her skills and continue to help others.”
Vicky, pictured with her award, was nominated by her manager Mark Pratt. “Vicky is reflective and creative when implementing nursing interventions, realising the importance of building trust and relationships with patients,” he said.
“She has a passion to make a difference in the lives of the marginalised, aiming to train further to become a Band 5 nurse once she has completed her apprenticeship.”
- For a round-up of last night’s South West Apprenticeship Awards finalists and winners, visit: South West Apprenticeship Awards 2023 – Home page (swapprenticeshipawards.co.uk)
GHC’s commitment to creating pathways and developing careers
Gloucestershire Health and Care recognises the vital role apprentices can play in securing an organisation’s future, and is dedicated to providing apprenticeship opportunities that help both learners and the Trust flourish.
GHC works to provide a range of ways for apprentices to develop their skills; providing a supportive and engaging learning environment to ensure learners get the most out of their apprenticeships.
Offering 27 different apprenticeships, the Trust currently has 210 apprentices on programmes from Level 2 to Level 7 across 32 different apprenticeship standards, and covering a wide range of careers – from nursing, medical and dental, to administration, finance and management.
In addition to upskilling and developing its current workforce, GHC has committed to increasing the number of entry-level apprenticeship vacancies. Its dedicated School Careers and Engagement Officer Christy engages with schools and the local community, using a curriculum of bespoke workshops to increase social mobility and accessibility to work, train and establish a career within the NHS.
The Apprenticeship and Widening Access team have also modified recruitment and onboarding to allow for personalised support throughout.
To find out more about the apprenticeship and work experience opportunities available within our Trust, visit: Apprenticeships and Widening Access > Glos Health & Care NHS Foundation Trust (ghc.nhs.uk)
