Regional recognition for Apprenticeship Team

A dedicated team has been honoured with a regional award in recognition of its outstanding commitment to supporting apprenticeships across the organisation.

The Employer Excellence Award was given to the Apprenticeship Team by the University of Wolverhampton as part of its Apprenticeships Gala awards.

The award is given to a Wolverhampton University partner employer who provides high-quality apprenticeship programmes, demonstrates strong leadership buy-in, and provides a positive experience for its apprentices.

Judges looked for examples of excellent practice and a genuine commitment to the support and development of apprentices.

Parveen Kumar, Apprenticeships and Workforce Development Manager at the Trust, said: “We are thrilled to have won the ‘Employer Excellence Award’, the long-standing partnership and collaborative working relationship continues with the University.

“As a proactive Employer Apprenticeship Team, we have maintained a keen awareness of the evolving skills needs within our organisation.

“This has enabled us to effectively guide both our apprentices and managers on the significant opportunities and benefits that apprenticeship development offers in addressing critical local and national skills gaps.

“The team has effectively integrated high-level degree apprenticeships into the workforce development strategy, which has supported retention and recruitment of the workforce, resulting in positive impacts across various professions and job roles.

“Since the introduction of the levy in 2017, the ongoing partnership and collaboration with university teams has facilitated upskilling and addressed organisational skills gaps through higher-level apprenticeships. The Apprenticeship Levy gives NHS organisations approximately funding to spend on the apprentices’ training each year. This collaboration has resulted in positive experiences and outcomes for apprentices, as well as supporting the organisation’s attraction and retention strategies.

“In collaboration with the University, we have been able to actively support the UK Government’s national objective of increasing the Nursing workforce in England and upskilling our Midwifery workforce to become Registered Midwives, in addition to cultivated robust talent pipelines for future leaders through the Senior Leader and Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeships.”