Apprenticeships
Feature
T he very first cohort of 13 pioneering occupational therapy degree apprentices at Sheffield Hallam University have reached the end of their learning journey
( Klompenhouwer 2020 ).
It was hard to predict what their journey would be at the start , as this is such a new way of educating . The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in most of the predictions becoming outdated very quickly . No longer was this just a new work-based learning programme , we all had to adapt at an incredible speed to cope with changing work and educational practices .
It is due to the commitment of their employers and everybody ’ s creativity that this cohort managed to stay on track and have finished at the time originally agreed with their employers .
Of this first cohort , all 13 have secured newlyqualified posts with their supporting employer – one of them starts in a band six development post – and six first and seven upper second qualifications have been awarded .
The impact of life events and forging lifelong friendships
The cohort started in April 2019 with 14 learners , but one has been on maternity leave and will complete with the apprenticeship cohort that follows this one .
There have been a number of life events along the way ; one baby was born early in the programme and another one is expected to arrive this year , three of the cohort got married during the programme , and there have been bereavements .
In addition , COVID-19 meant that working practices changed and a number worked from home for a long period of time . Others were redeployed within their organisation to support the COVID-19 response . Things have certainly not been easy for them .
The result of this is a cohort of people that have shown a great ability to bounce forward . They have supported each other through everything that has come their way .
I know I am speaking for all of them when I say that lifelong friendships have been formed . It has been an incredible collaboration with each and every one of them .
Without their individual commitment and support for each other , as well as support from their work colleagues and university staff , we could not have made this happen . They have been true pioneers and I know they each have much to give to our wonderful profession .
It has been wonderful to see the apprentice grow in their knowledge of occupational therapy , as well as develop their practice as a competent and confident health care professional .”
What is a degree apprenticeship ?
It is probably important to remind readers what a degree apprenticeship is . Learners on a degree apprenticeship in occupational therapy are working , normally as occupational therapy assistants or technical instructors , and studying at the same time .
According to government guidance , a minimum of 20 per cent of an apprentice ’ s time is spent on education . This commitment is dependent on the length of the overall programme .
At Sheffield Hallam University , the programme is a total of 36 months long – a decision that was made in collaboration with our partner organisations .
Occupational therapy apprenticeship programmes can take up to 48 months to deliver and other programmes do use this longer timeframe . RCOT has a wealth of information to support employers , in particular in making decisions about apprenticeships .
Collaboration with employers is a key feature of degree apprenticeship programmes . Equally , approval from the Health and Care Professions Council ( HCPC ) and RCOT is required to ensure national and international standards are being adhered to .
© James Gdesign via Getty Images
January 2022 OTnews 23