Employer's Guide to Health and Social Care Apprenticeships 2024

HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE AT WIGAN & LEIGH COLLEGE

Wigan & Leigh College has a long history of training health and social care professionals across the region. We offer apprenticeships that can be studied both full time and part-time. For more than 70 years we have been working with companies like yours to develop the nation’s next generation of professionals, helping to solve recruitment challenges and fill the skills gap faced by many companies within the industry.

By working with the college you will have ready access to a talent pool of health and social care students who have studied full time with us and are keen to take up an apprenticeship to progress within their chosen field.

As the largest college apprenticeships provider in Greater Manchester we work with more than 1,500 employers and 2,000 apprentices. We support our apprentices and their employers throughout the journey from level 2 – 5.

OUR APPRENTICESHIP OFFER

*** All apprenticeship are available subject to the entry criteria being met, please contact us for specific details.

WORKING WITH US

Our established Centre of Excellence is focused on raising aspirations in health & social care and delivers courses up to degree level including apprenticeships for careers in Counselling, Medicine, Midwifery, Nursing, Paramedic and Social Work.

According to Health Education England, health workers are in high demand, in particular nurses, therapists, midwives and paramedics. The NHS needs to recruit 190,000 more staff by 2027 to meet the demands of a growing and ageing population.

Starting salaries for paramedics and nurses range from £22,000 to £29,000. With experience and seniority, salaries rise from £31,000 to £69,000.

ONLINE LEARNING

ELIGIBILITY

If eligible, these courses are fully funded.

Funding criteria:

• Age 24+ (those aged 19 - 23 must already have a FULL level 2 qualification or equivalent).

• Resident in the UK for 3+ years, for purposes other than study.

• Not currently active on any other funded course, such as an apprenticeship.

• Postcode eligibility applies (funding available for Greater Manchester, City Area, Liverpool City Area and any non-devolved postcodes).

BENEFITS

• Fully accredited courses.

• Apply at any time

• Complete in up to 24 weeks.

• Online or paper-based learning.

• Flexibility to fit around work and personal life.

• Assessment based learning - no exams.

Awareness of Mental Health Problems

Understanding Autism

Principles of Team Leading

Level 2 Preparing to work in Adult Social Care Personal Care Needs

Principles of Care Planning

Principles of Dementia Care

Understanding Safe Handling of Medication

Understanding Nutrition/Health

Principles of Working with Individuals with Learning Disabilities

Understand Working with People with Mental Health Needs

Principles of End of Life Care

Prevention & Control of Infection in Health Care

Understanding Cancer Support

Whether you are looking for a route into work, developing in your current role, improving your CV, or want to learn for personal development, an Online Learning course may be your next step.

BENEFITS FOR EMPLOYERS

Upskilled employees may gain nationally recognised sector specific qualifications around work commitments.

Tenant Support in Social Housing

Information, Advice or Guidance

Understanding Children & Young People’s Mental Health

Understanding Behaviour That Challenges

Understanding Dignity and Safeguarding in Adult H&SC

Understanding Safeguarding and Prevent

Understanding the Care and Management of Diabetes

Understanding Specific Learning Difficulties

Common Health Conditions

Common Childhood Illnesses

01942 761851

MEET THE ASSESSORS

Helen Hollinshead

EMPLOYMENT BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE:

I have worked in the health and social Care industry for over 25 years. As a Registered Care Manager for 16 years I would train staff to be confident and competent in their role. I decided on a change in career at the age of 40 and become a primary school teacher after achieving my PGCE.

WHY DID YOU MOVE TO EDUCATION?

Joining the college seemed like natural progression. I have been able to combine my subject knowledge of health and social care with my teaching and learning skills to support students on their apprenticeship programme. Having started my career at Wigan and Leigh college at 16 studying health and social care I feel like I have come full circle whereby I can pass on my knowledge, skills and experiences to others. I coach Adult Care Level 2 to the Level 5 Leadership and Management diploma and the Teaching Assistant Level 3 diploma in schools.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST?

I enjoy teaching and learning so coaching students on their journey to achieve their qualification and End Point Assessment for career progression or to secure their university place gives me real job satisfaction.

Catherine Roylance

EMPLOYMENT BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE:

I have worked in health and social care for all of my working life. I began my career as a care assistant with Wigan Council working my way to a registered manager, for 15 years of the 21 years I worked for Wigan Council. In 2010 as the service was being outsourced and my role as care manager was changing and becoming more of a business, I felt it was time for a change.

WHY DID YOU MOVE TO EDUCATION?

I feel the qualifications, knowledge, skills and experience I had gained in care. Which includes residential care, home care, learning disabilities, mental health and children’s services, could be used to develop others. Throughout the years I have worked in education I have continued to keep my skills and knowledge up to date by working with different providers, private sector, public services and working with the NHS.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST?

I work with a great team and very closely with my colleague Helen Hollinshead. We want to develop the area of health and social care apprenticeships in our department. We are both extremely passionate about the quality of services within health and social care within the borough and beyond and want to share all our knowledge to develop others.

MEET THE TEAM

ELLIE HOUGH

EMPLOYMENT BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE:

I have worked within the HR and Recruitment world for 7 years now and believe in providing the best experience possible. I am a firm believer that you will never stop learning and I continuously work on my knowledge within any subject area to ensure each interaction is positive.

WHAT IS YOUR ROLE?

I am an Employer Engagement Executive here at College. My role consists of supporting both Employers and Learners with their apprenticeship requirements. This consists of offering a free recruitment service, exploring option to support the upskilling of the existing work and providing information about apprenticeships.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST?

It is great to work alongside such an amazing team who are passionate about the experience they provide. I enjoy being around people who share their knowledge and support each other to work towards our targets and goals. It is extremely rewarding to be able to be a part of such an amazing team supporting employers and apprentices in a variety of different ways.

Health & Social Care

Employer Engagement Team

EMPLOYMENT BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE:

I have worked within the sales industry for serval years and thoroughly enjoy providing the highest customer service journey. I have also worked with young people and have a passion in supporting them into “the next steps”

WHAT IS YOUR ROLE?

I am a Employer and Apprentice Engagement Officer here at the College working in the Employer Engagement team. I support employers while they recruit an apprentice.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST?

I enjoy working with a team that is supportive and who’s best interest is guiding young people into an apprenticeship. It’s great to be around a team who all offer different knowledge I continue to learn something new every day.

EMPLOYER PARTNERS

Explore the advantages of collaborating with Wigan & Leigh College as an employer partner, joining the ranks of numerous local and national organisations dedicated to bolstering our students’ success. Cultivate your future workforce by participating in apprenticeship programmes, providing work placements, offering project support and sharing valuable workplace insights through guest speaking and conference attendance. Your engagement can make a significant impact on both our students’ development and your organisation’s future success.

UNLOCK THE BENEFITS OF WORKING WITH THE COLLEGE

WHAT OUR EMPLOYER PARTNERS SAY

MEDILINE SUPPORT LIVING

Our relationship with the college has enabled us to give apprentice opportunities to local young people, their skills are an asset to our organisation. The college’s team provide a service with great communication and guidance through the process.

PERSONAL CARE SERVICES

Working with Wigan and Leigh College is a privilege, they have been so committed and supportive over the past few years, the staff are so passionate in their roles this really stands out to me as an employer. What I love most is the college have taken the time to understand the struggles in my sector and have been so supportive in trying new innovative ways of working with us.

ONE VISION MEDIA

By working in collobration with Wigan & Leigh College, we enjoy building skills for the future by supporting health & social care students to promote amazing professionals for the futures.

MEET AN APPRENTICE MIA ELWICK

LEVEL 2

ADULT CARE WORKER

“I work with a lot of experienced people who have been in my position and followed the same career path through apprenticeships. I love that they are here to help me and are always helping me to learn whilst on the job and because of that I feel like I am ahead of the curve with developing my skills and my confidence.”

ONE VISION MEDIA THE FUTURE STARTS