Caithness medical practice staff tell how apprenticeships set them on career pathway
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Staff at a Caithness medical practice have been underlining the benefits of apprenticeship schemes available across the NHS Highland area.
The opportunities are seen as an ideal way to set young people on a career pathway in the health service.
Members of the team Riverbank and Lybster Medical Practice were speaking at the start of Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2002, which runs from March 7-11.
Apprenticeships allow individuals to work, learn and earn to gain the skills employers need.
The health board offers foundation, modern and graduate apprenticeships, and has developed new ways of working with independent training providers and the University of the Highlands and Islands training network during the pandemic.
Linda Skinner, NHS Highland’s education, learning and development adviser (apprenticeships), said: “Our apprenticeship programme offers fantastic career development opportunities as well as strengthening our workforce for the future.
“We offer apprenticeships in a wide variety of areas, including business and administration, engineering, procurement, hospitality management and IT and communications.
“These apprenticeship opportunities play an important role in developing NHS Highland’s workforce and provide individuals with an ideal platform to work and develop their skills at the same time. Please get in touch if you would like to find out more about apprenticeship opportunities in Highland, Argyll and Bute.”
Catriona Naughton, senior practice manager at the Riverbank and Lybster practice, says it is vital that teams in more remote and rural locations think creatively.
She said: “We can offer quality, work-based opportunities for young people in the local area. They earn as they learn, developing knowledge, skills and experience that set them on a career pathway.
"It is also an opportunity to train and retain a lot of our workforce in our remote and rural areas.”
Practice team lead Amy Harrold explained: “My Modern Apprenticeship enabled me to carry on doing my job and earn a wage at the same time as studying. This made it easier for me to succeed and further develop within my work, and this led to a promotion.”
Rhea Booth, a receptionist/administrator at the practice, said: “The Modern Apprenticeship programme offers me the opportunity to learn and receive a qualification while also getting work experience and earning a wage. It’s my ideal way to study.”
Beth Warner, communications assistant/PA to the senior practice manager at Riverbank and Lybster, said: “I enjoyed being able to learn and work in tandem while being able to stay at home and not have to move away to university.”
It was announced in August last year that Riverbank (Thurso) and the Lybster practice, based in the village, were merging. NHS Highland pointed out at the time that working more closely would make the service more sustainable and, with shared systems, patients would see an improvement in access and choice.
Anyone wishing to find out more about NHS Highland’s apprenticeship programme can email Linda Skinner at linda.skinner5@nhs.scot
