Supporting nursing associate and assistant practitioner apprenticeships in health and social care

Apprenticeships are becoming widespread in healthcare and provide opportunities for development and social mobility that otherwise may not have been possible. This article provides an overview of apprenticeship programmes that may be of interest to those considering embarking upon an apprenticeship, and to help health professionals new to supporting one of these roles understand the support requirements within the workplace and university. Both roles were developed to provide opportunities for progression and the development of knowledge, skills and behaviours, while building capacity and capability within the healthcare workforce. Apprenticeships necessitate a close working partnership between employer and higher-education institution, which is shown within the proposed conceptual model 'Forceps'. The authors discuss the end point assessment, which is triggered when apprentices reach the requirements of their occupational standard, and share their experience of preparing apprentices to the point of readiness for the workplace.