Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

NHSApprenticeshipsLatest News

Government to double nursing apprentices with £172m funding

by Rob Moss 10 Aug 2020
by Rob Moss 10 Aug 2020 Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock
Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock

The Department for Health and Social Care is to enable healthcare employers to take on up to 8,000 nursing degree apprentices over the next four years, following a surge in the number of people seeking information on the NHS careers site.

The nursing degree apprenticeship is available in adult, children, mental health and learning disability specialisms and typically lasts four years, after which students can qualify as fully registered nurses. NHS and social care employers currently train about 1,000 nurse apprentices every year.

Apprenticeships

Government must act to prevent mass youth unemployment

BAE Systems: Why Covid-19 hasn’t stopped us taking on apprentices

Apprenticeships ‘not delivering’ social mobility

The number of people looking for information on nursing careers on the NHS website rose 138% during lockdown, according to the government.

Health and social care secretary Matt Hancock said: “I’m thrilled to see a rising interest in nursing careers, but we must ensure this fantastic career is truly diverse and open to all.

“Nursing apprenticeships allow students to earn as they learn and this new funding will enable healthcare employers to hire thousands more, helping us to deliver 50,000 more nurses by the end of this Parliament.”

NHS and private healthcare employers will receive £8,300 per placement per year. Nursing degree apprentices already receive a salary and have their tuition costs paid for through the apprenticeship programme. The funding will enable employers to meet the costs of taking on apprentices, including staffing costs while apprentices receive their training.

Mike Adams, Royal College of Nursing (RCN) director for England, welcomed the increase in funding but said it “falls short of the wider investment needed to educate enough registered nurses for the future, ensuring health and care services have the staff needed”.

He said the full-time three-year nursing degree remains the best way to increase domestic nursing supply at the scale and pace needed, adding: “The government must abolish self-funded tuition fees for all nursing students as well as introducing universal living maintenance grants that reflect actual student need if it is truly committed on delivering the 50,000 more nurses they promised.”

In addition to this funding, which will cost up to £172m, employers in England will also benefit from the payment announced by chancellor Rishi Sunak last month of £2,000 for each new apprentice they hire aged under 25, and £1,500 for each new apprentice they hire aged 25 and over, up until 31 January 2021.

Dennis Little, head of workforce development and education at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Trust, said: “We introduced the registered nurse degree apprenticeship to allow experienced healthcare professionals at our trust to train as registered nurses at the University of Sunderland. The programme has allowed our apprentices to utilise the knowledge and experience they have gained through providing high-quality patient care in their nurse training.”

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

A recent RCN survey of 42,000 nursing staff showed that 36% were considering leaving the profession, with most saying pay was a factor in their decision.

HR opportunities in Healthcare on Personnel Today

Browse more HR opportunities in healthcare

Rob Moss

Rob Moss is a business journalist with more than 25 years' experience. He has been editor of Personnel Today since 2010. He joined the publication in 2006 as online editor of the award-winning website. Rob specialises in labour market economics, gender diversity and family-friendly working. He has hosted hundreds of webinar and podcasts. Before writing about HR and employment he ran news and feature desks on publications serving the global optical and eyewear market, the UK electrical industry, and energy markets in Asia and the Middle East.

previous post
Teachers urged to ‘escalate’ safety concerns when schools reopen
next post
Apprenticeship system reboot could boost economy

You may also like

RCN warns Darlington NHS trust over single-sex spaces

16 May 2025

NHS Scotland staff accept two-year 8.2% pay deal

16 May 2025

Healthcare workers prioritise mental health support in new...

12 May 2025

Nurses threaten strikes if pay demands not met

12 May 2025

Jobs on the line across NHS trusts in...

9 May 2025

NHS worker awarded £29k after Darth Vader comparison

8 May 2025

Resident doctors to ballot for strike action

2 May 2025

NHS Lothian review finds ‘toxic’ work environment

2 May 2025

Public sector staff could be in line for...

28 Apr 2025

Call for better mental health support for NHS...

17 Apr 2025

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+