This National Apprenticeship Week 2022, we’re celebrating occupational therapy apprenticeships which launched in England in 2019 – and have been growing ever since! Apprenticeships are opening opportunities for more people to become occupational therapists and organisations to grow their workforce.
Hear from current and future apprentices and employers about their experiences, motivations and tips.
Interested in an occupational therapy apprenticeship? Carolyn Hay, RCOT Pre-registration Education Manager, shares tips on what to do next.
Also see our FAQs about becoming an apprentice.
James Page started his apprenticeship in January 2020 with Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust and is currently on his second-year placement. |
My role involves simultaneously studying and working. Everything I learn at university in the first part of the week is used with service users in the second part of the week. I am supported by a great mentor who ensures learning opportunities are maximised. It is hard work but extremely rewarding.
The apprenticeship route was accessible and I felt passionately about occupational therapy, especially empowering service users through therapy. I was already working with a great NHS trust, so I felt it was a natural progression.
I am enjoying the placement aspect. I am currently on an exciting split placement with a learning disability team and also working on a wellbeing garden for the wider community.
Get as much experience as possible before you start – either shadow or become an assistant and make sure it is something you definitely want to pursue. Four years is a long haul, so you need to be committed.
Dee Humphris, Occupational Therapy Operational Manager, supports three level 6 occupational therapy apprentices and one level 3 at St Richards Hospital, Chichester. |
How have you and your organisation benefited from having an apprentice?
We have three level 6 apprentices with the University of Brighton, one in each of our three acute ward-based teams, neuro, general medicine and orthopaedics. They bring rich knowledge, ideas and innovation both from their formal learning at university but also from placements. It is fantastic having three as they support and complement each other’s learning and we learn from them too! We also have a Level 3 OT apprentice for our hip fracture ward, he is beginning his learning journey which will hopefully lead to an exciting career in occupational therapy.
What is your role in your apprentice’s learning?
I am currently the operational manager and I oversee their time onsite here with the NHS. Each apprentice has a team mentor and supervisor and we allocate them peer support time monthly and both clinical and non-clinical mentorship time. All the OTs take responsibility for their learning, making suggestions, giving feedback and educating them as part of their day-to-day work.
What would you say to other organisations thinking about offering apprenticeships?
I would encourage all occupational therapy departments to support apprenticeships, it values your current staff, is attractive to new staff and it is building the evolving occupational therapy workforce of the future. I feel that by supporting the apprentices it is helping us a build a commitment to learning and education at all levels within the occupational therapy team and wider hospital trust.
Helen Smith is an apprentice and member of the RCOT Carnduff Learner Forum. |
Being an apprentice involves attending university one day a week then attending work the rest of the week to complete contracted work hours. Within this, as an apprentice you are able to directly apply your university learning and observe how it is used with the setting you are in. As an apprentice it also puts you in an ideal situation as you will have already had some practical experience in your work setting and gained insight into some of the essential skills needed such as teamwork and communication skills.
On the apprenticeship you have the added bonus of a work-based mentor who you can meet with to discuss university or work-related matters. I have found this invaluable particularly when developing my clinical reasoning skills through discussion and reflection with my mentor. I also have an academic personal tutor who I meet with, joined by my mentor three times a year to discuss my progression and what is coming up in the following semester.
I chose the apprenticeship route because as an individual I learn by ‘doing’ and whilst the theory aspect university teaches is valuable, the apprenticeship can provide more opportunities to see how this is actively applied compared to traditional route students who may only get this opportunity when they attend practice placement.
On the apprentice route, your learning does not end at the end of your university day – it continues into your on-the-job learning within your employed role. I also have the opportunity to complete competencies in my place of work which I feel will make the transition from a student to a registered member of staff less of a steep learning curve.
I am enjoying the opportunities and scope of occupational therapy practice it is exposing me to. Whilst there are skills I am learning within my role at an acute setting, I recognise that occupational therapy contributions can vary from setting. Another bonus has been meeting fellow apprentices from different settings and hearing about occupational therapist contributions.
Helen also shared tips for apprentices about to start their journey:
- Ask lots of questions no matter how big or small in your employed role, such as how the theory links into practice, what outcome measures are used or even why they decided a certain intervention was more appropriate.
- Write weekly reflective diaries. I do short 200-300 words which helps to consolidate learning – it is not necessarily something you will always need to do daily but by reflecting on new experiences you can refer back to it and consider how that learning will influence your future practice.
- Attend the taster days if this is offered to you as this will give you the opportunity to meet peers on your course as well as familiarise yourself with the buildings to make life a bit easier when you formally attend classes.
The Therapies team at Kettering General Hospital have two occupational therapy apprentices and share their experience so far. |
We are looking forward to our apprentices growing within our team and supporting their journey to a B5 OT. This was a new opportunity within our team and has brought positivity and thoughts for future development.
The apprentice's learning is focused around the knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSB) framework. Our mentors work closely with the higher education institution (HEI) to support the apprentice in developing professional knowledge and skills within the workplace.
We would highly recommend. Despite only being in post for a short time, we are already seeing a positive impact with passion and drive from our apprentices.
Emma Gudgeon is starting her occupational therapy apprenticeship in March, after completing an assistant practitioner apprenticeship in summer 2020. |
“With National Apprenticeship Week approaching I just wanted to express my joy at having secured my place as an apprentice to work towards becoming a fully qualified occupational therapist. I work for East Lancashire Hospital NHS Trust and will be part of the first cohort of apprentices within the North West studying under Sheffield Hallam University.
“During my time as an AHP support worker, I have learnt so much about the importance of OT and how to apply it, hoping one day to have the opportunity to train. All the AHPs I have worked with have inspired me to want to become a qualified clinician myself.
“Due to my home situation it's impossible for me to study full time, so the apprenticeship is perfect for me. Without it I would not be able to progress my career - staying as a support worker would be fine as I love my role, but I feel that I have so much more to give. It’s going to be a busy few years, but I am looking forward to beginning my journey in March.”
Stephanie Wolff, Catherine Roberts and Helen Otter, OT leads at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust will be welcoming the trust's first four occupational therapy apprentices in March 2022: |
“At Manchester University Foundation Trust (MFT) we have just recruited our first four OT apprentices from our assistant workforce who are due to start their course with Sheffield Hallam University in March.
"It’s all new to us as we have relied on the traditional student model but we are very excited about this new endeavour. It’s been a steep learning curve getting set up in such a large organisation; from getting a business case signed off, getting our job description through Agenda For Change panel with very tight deadlines and working through the approval processes.
"We have been inspired by the talent among our assistant staff and are so glad to be able to support them in their career progression."
Interested in becoming an occupational therapy apprentice? Carolyn Hay, RCOT Pre-registration Education Manager shares what you can do next. |
“You need to be employed in a relevant job role so you can undertake the ‘on-the-job’ element of the apprenticeship. The first step is to chat with your manager. There may also be an apprenticeship or education team within the organisation that can help you discuss the opportunities available.
“I’d also encourage you to look at the websites of universities which offer an occupational therapy apprenticeship and attend an open day. It’s important that you understand the entry requirements, and if you need to undertake any more study before applying, and the way the programme is structured. Each apprenticeship is slightly different. Some have one day a week at uni, others one-week or two-week blocks every couple of months. Ask about the practice-based learning too to see what opportunities there are, how long each placement is, and when these take place.
“Once you’ve found out the information you need the university team and your employer will be able to support you through the next steps.”
Find out more about occupational therapy degree-level apprenticeships.