Apprenticeship Talent within the NHS
Taking an apprenticeship with Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber Training (CWCT) is proving to be a winning formula for apprentice, Kirsty McKelvie, whose career in the NHS is flourishing. As a stepping stone into working for the NHS, Kirsty joined The Princes Trust in 2018 and enrolled on a four-week employability course at Coventry & Warwickshire Partnership Trust (CWPT) which provided a valuable insight into the roles and opportunities in the NHS.
After completing the course, Kirsty was offered an apprenticeship and is loving the mix of working at CWPT, learning new skills and knowledge through a combination of on and off the job.
Kirsty achieved her business administration apprenticeship at level 2, before progressing to advanced learning at level 3. Her role as a Clinical Systems Support Officer enables Kirsty to assist clinical staff over email and telephone when they have technical issues with clinical systems.
Commenting on Kirsty’s success, Helen O’Brien, Head of Clinical Systems and RA Manager said: “As Kirsty has moved through her apprenticeship, she has widened her knowledge of how organisations work and has applied this knowledge to her current role. Her increased confidence has meant that she communicates in a positive way and some of the ideas she has shared have now been put into practice within her team. This has resulted in improvements in the way the team works.
“I feel very proud of how Kirsty has matured over the last couple of years and the grades she has achieved in her final presentation and examination are a testament to how hard she has worked. It is something she can be truly proud of.”
Kirsty added: “I have really enjoyed the mix of working, learning and earning during my apprenticeship. Christine Cusick, my Training Advisor at Chamber Training, was very supportive and helped me with the challenges I faced whilst working from home during the pandemic. I’m very grateful for her support. I also volunteer for Talent for Care which involves helping at events, schools and writing articles to help other apprentices and my next step will be to apply for a post as an Apprenticeship Ambassador.”
Christine Cusick from Chamber Training commented: “We are delighted to have worked so closely with Kirsty. She has grown and is thriving in her role. It’s wonderful to see her being able to help new apprentices coming into the NHS.”
Chamber Training is reminding employers not to miss out on the Government financial incentives available to support businesses to create new jobs and Apprenticeships. Employers can receive £3,000 for new apprentices of any age who join their organisation before 31st January 2022. This is in addition to the £1,000 employers already receive for hiring an apprentice aged 16-18 years old or ages 19-24 with an education, health care plan or who have been in care of the local authority. The team at Chamber Training are on hand to provide guidance and support to make the apprenticeship journey easy.
To further information about Chamber Training’s Apprenticeship Programme, call 024 7623 1122 or enquiries@cw-chambertraining.co.uk
Photo: L-R: Helen O’Brien congratulates Kirsty McKelvie on her success as an apprentice at CWPT.