Case Studies
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Published: 10th June 2024
We recently had a chat with Amanda Milthorpe (Learning and Development Facilitator – Apprenticeships at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust) about Apprenticeships and the impact of their partnership with The Sheffield College, Apprenticeships+.
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is a leading acute healthcare provider with approximately 20,000 staff members across five hospitals and various community services throughout Sheffield.
As part of the Trust’s commitment to professional growth and development, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals proudly supports over 400 Apprentices in both clinical and non-clinical roles, emphasising the importance of education and career progression within the NHS.
We started our conversation by asking, why did they choose to use The Sheffield College, Apprenticeships+, as their training provider?
Choosing The Sheffield College was a strategic decision for Sheffield Teaching Hospitals. Amanda mentioned that “The Sheffield College delivers several standards for us, and we collaborate with them to deliver successful Apprenticeship programmes.”
The Trust values the college’s local presence, which allows their staff to study in Sheffield and they appreciate “the blended delivery model that offers flexibility around busy work schedules.”
Next, we discussed what Sheffield Teaching Hospitals look for when selecting an Apprentice.
Amanda highlighted that “they look for individuals who are suited to vocational training, self-motivated and committed to learning and working at the same time.”
They also want Apprentices who embody the Trust’s PROUD values and are dedicated to making a difference in patients’ lives every day.
Given the size of their workforce, we wanted to understand what benefits they see in hiring Apprentices and why they choose to offer Apprenticeships alongside full-time and part-time employment.
Amanda stated that there are several benefits and noted that Apprenticeships allow them to “support individuals who may not thrive in traditional education but have real potential to be valuable staff members.”
Amanda also explained that “Apprenticeships help attract diverse individuals with skills needed to work in the NHS, including roles that might not be immediately associated with healthcare such as their Estates and Clinical Engineering teams.”
We then asked Amanda if she had any advice for employers considering hiring their first Apprentice.
Her advice was to “research the [Apprenticeship] standard and ensure you can support your Apprentice to meet the full criteria." She emphasised “the importance of having a good training provider” as it can significantly enhance the employer and learner experience.
Our final question focused on advice to prospective Apprentices.
Amanda encouraged potential Apprentices and highlighted that "employers pay you a salary, give you time to train, and cover the cost of the training course, all while gaining valuable work experience."
The partnership between Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and The Sheffield College, Apprenticeships+, shows a successful collaboration focused on empowering individuals through Apprenticeships, benefiting both the workforce and the community.
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