The London Ambulance Service NHS Trust (LAS) is paving the way forward in how the health service can support apprenticeship roles, as the Department for Education names it the fifth best apprenticeship employer in England.
The organisation is the only NHS trust to be ranked in the top 20, with the North West Ambulance Service, the Yorkshire Ambulance Service, and the West Midlands Ambulance Service achieving 21st, 23rd and 26th rankings respectively.
“LAS has a proven track record of commitment to education, training and equipping our people with the skills, knowledge and experience they need to thrive in their future careers,” said the organisation’s chief people officer, Damian McGuinness.
“This amazing achievement of being ranked as the top NHS apprenticeship employer and a top 10 apprenticeship employer in the UK recognises how we are striving to seek top talent and nurture it to ensure people who come to LAS for their careers can develop and flourish in a range of roles suited to their skillsets.”
LAS had more than 500 apprenticeships during 2023/24 — half of which were trainee assistant ambulance practitioners, which is a role that requires no prior medical experience but can lay the foundations for a future career as a paramedic.
LAS’s strategic workforce development manager for apprenticeships, Darren Avery, added: “We are so proud to be named as a top 100 employer for apprenticeships for the fourth success year, against such stiff competition as well!
“This accolade is recognition for the teamwork, commitment and talent of our apprentices and the dedication of the Service to foster that talent into incredible paramedics.”
The news comes after London mayor Sadiq Khan named LAS the apprenticeship employer of the year in November 2023.
Damian McGuinness added: “Our ground breaking apprenticeships allow us to bolster our workforce while continuing to attract new talent who can earn while they learn.”
To read the Department for Education’s full 2024 rankings, click here.
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