A decade on: “How my apprenticeship shaped my career”

With 12 years’ at NUH under her belt, our Deputy Head of Resourcing, Jodie Kelly tell us how and why beginning her career at NUH as an apprentice opened her up to a working world full of development and career opportunities.

Back in 2011, Jodie embarked on an apprenticeship in Business Administration at NUH that she said “would give me the opportunity to continue learning whilst getting work experience”. Jodie was one of 13 young people that took part in the Trust’s apprenticeship scheme in 2011/12 of which she also featured in the NUH Newspaper to promote her role as a new NUH apprentice. Now over a decade later, Jodie is Deputy Head of Resourcing and manages a team of over 50 people at Trust HQ.

Jodie reflects on how her apprenticeship opened her up to a breadth of different roles within the NUH. “I started my apprenticeship within the Human Resources (HR) Operations Team. I did a day in each HR Team which included the recruitment team, the equality and diversity team and the HR Ops team. I also worked on reception for recruitment which is where I got my experience to apply for my next role as a HR Administrator within the team.”

Within each team she has worked in, Jodie spoke of her desire to learn a bit more in each role, “if there was different task in another department that I could pick up and to gain more experience, I always said yes as this has helped me get to where I am today. I have practically done every job in recruitment, so understanding each job and its responsibilities has been invaluable to me” she said.

“I never dread coming to work, I have loved all the jobs I have undertaken and I have had such good opportunities to progress myself further, with great managers who have encouraged my development. This included a 10 month secondment with East Midlands Academic Health Science Network (EMAHSN) whilst still under NUH employment, which allowed me to explore other job roles in a different setting before starting my current role.”

My job now revolves around making sure we get the right candidates in the right place at the right time. An apprenticeship is a great way of beginning a career journey that in time, like me you will be in a position where you will be helping the next generation of apprenticeships and colleagues realise their potential’. With life insurance Company LV quoting that the average UK worker will change employer every five years, Jodie speaks on why she has decided to stay at NUH “I think personally it’s the flexibility, the development and the team. Even though I am not in a patient facing role, our role in recruitment is to get the best staff in to deliver great patient care which for me is a more rewarding line of recruitment work, helping a wider organisation.”

12 years later, there is now a variety of different apprenticeships released throughout the year across the trust, with a staggering 274 new apprenticeship starters at NUH within the last financial year.

If you are inspired by Jodie’s story, scan the QR code to find out how you can become part of the next generation of talent at NUH or contact wideningparticipation@ nuh.nhs.uk. To find about careers at NUH, visit www.nuh.nhs.uk/jobs

As a staff member at NUH you get at least

• 27 annual leave days plus bank holidays

• Free Medilink Transport Use

• Discounted £2 Hot Meals

• Access to free webinars and online e-learning

• Blue light card