It's no secret that the NHS has been struggling to recruit, train and retain skilled people for several years, with an already difficult situation made worse by the pandemic.
Funding cuts, along with post-Covid-related pressures and Brexit, have all conspired to have a continuing negative impact on the UK health service's workforce.
Research conducted by YouGov shortly before Labour came to power in 2024, found that 70% of NHS employees were taking on more than their usual workload to compensate for staff shortages.
The UK's biggest apprentice trainer
Against this challenging skills gap background, NHS trusts are working hard to find a solution - and one tried and tested way is by making more use of apprenticeships.
In fact, the NHS is now the nation's biggest trainer of apprentices with around 25,000 learners enrolling on training programmes every year. Encouragingly, latest retention figures show that 90% of apprentices remain in the NHS when they qualify and go on to have successful and rewarding healthcare careers.
NHS apprentice programmes are designed to be inclusive, offering great opportunities to people of all ages and backgrounds at different stages in their lives. Apprentices include existing NHS staff wanting to further their skills and qualifications, parents returning to work, new recruits looking for a career change and young people straight out of school, college or university.
Spending the apprenticeship levy
All NHS Trusts with an annual wage bill over £3 million, or around 120 staff have to pay the apprenticeship levy. As the UK's largest employer, the NHS contributes £200 million to the levy every year.
This means that many trusts have been paying in and accruing large amounts in their levy pots. But not everyone is aware of this valuable funding stream - and even those trusts who are, don't always know how to make apprenticeships work best for them.
Some are sitting, unknowingly, on thousands of pounds' worth of training budget. It's a unique opportunity for the NHS to have a pot of money earmarked for apprenticeships. So, here's a quick guide to help you get ahead:
What can the levy be spent on?
The levy can be spent on any type of apprenticeship training at any level - from level 2 entry-level courses through to degree-level programmes, such as level 5 midwifery.
How do apprenticeships work in the NHS?
NHS trusts can use apprenticeships in the same way as businesses do. There is such a range of relevant apprentice programmes available to the NHS - from business admin to nursing and health & social care. Apprenticeships offer pathways into many of the 350 plus NHS careers through a mix of on-the-job training, online study and classroom learning.
Why are apprenticeships important in the NHS?
NHS training is on the job, so in the case of healthcare apprentices, they're already there on the ward making a difference from day one. By getting real life experience they'll know exactly what they have to do when they're qualified.
Trusts can use apprenticeships to recruit new talent as well as upskill existing staff. Thanks to the apprenticeship levy, training costs are already covered, so trusts don't have to find the extra cash to pay for it
If you don't use your levy funds within 24 months, they're wiped from your account, so it really is a case of use it or lose it.
How can I access my Trust's levy funds?
If you're a HR or training manager, you'll need to register for an Apprenticeship Service (AS) account to see how much levy funding your trust has built up. You can also search, manage and pay for apprenticeships using your AS account.
Download our step-by-step guide to the Apprenticeship Service below.
When you know how much you have to spend on apprenticeship training, it's up to you to spend it. To make sure you get the best return on investment from your levy, we've created an apprenticeship levy starter pack especially for NHS trusts: