Celebrating National Apprenticeship Week 2023

Published: Thursday 9th February 2023

It’s National Apprenticeships Week! And here at Agincare we are proud to be celebrating this annual event with over 350 of our own team members working towards a qualification.

This week we are sharing success stories, handing over our social media accounts to apprentices, and encouraging you to nominate your Apprentice of the Year for our 2023 Agincare Heroes awards.

Health and Social Care Apprenticeships

We recognise that our future is in our team. When they progress and realise their aspirations, so do we.

That’s why, through our specialist training partner, Training Now (part of Agincare group), all of our teams across the country have access to free Health and Social Care apprenticeships and short courses.

Training Now is a nationwide training provider offering bespoke training specifically for the healthcare industry. They are rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted and are endorsed by Skills for Care, the strategic workforce development and planning body for adult social care in England.

Building careers through apprenticeships

Apprenticeships give our team members the opportunity to learn while they earn, combining their work with on and off the job learning.

This means that, with apprenticeships ranging from Level 2 to Level 5, everyone joining the Agincare team can progress their career and realise their potential.

This was certainly true for Project Operations Support Manager, Alin Petrescu. Coming to the UK from Brasov in Romania, Alin joined Agincare as a live-in care worker with the intention of staying for only a few months.

Five years on, he has received four promotions and, thanks to a Level 5 Operations or Departmental Manager apprenticeship, now plays a vital role in the Senior Management Team for our live-in care services.

Reflecting on how his apprenticeship helped to develop his career, Alin said:

The Apprenticeship has helped me improve my skills and knowledge and also advance in my career. Training Now played a big role in this as they have always been there to support me and guide me in the right direction.

For Alin, the apprenticeship provided by Training Now has transformed his life, and enabled him to build a career for himself in the UK with Agincare.

Celebrating success

Whether it is building a life in a whole new country, or taking that next step in their career, apprenticeships are transforming lives across Agincare.

Lesley Pitcher, who joined Agincare as a Senior Care Assistant at our Extra Care Scheme, Canter’s Meadow Court, has recently completed her Lead Adult Care Worker apprenticeship. Encouraged by her manager, she was able to gain a qualification without sacrificing time or income.

What seemed like an impossible dream was made possible by the support from the Training Now team. Throughout the apprenticeship, Lesley was supported by a designated Teaching and Learning Coach who oversaw her learning and helped her fit it into her other commitments.

My Teaching and Learning Coach was amazing. I was struggling with my Maths Level 2 qualification and was becoming quite discouraged at times so she arranged extra tuition for me to get through it. Due to family commitments, there were times when I thought I wouldn’t be able to continue but, with the amazing help and support I received, I kept at it and passed with an overall Merit.

Today, Lesley is glad to have had the support from Training Now. Since completing the course she has been promoted to Field Care Supervisor and is grateful for the opportunity to complete an apprenticeship.

My new role is both challenging and rewarding and the skills I have learnt doing my apprenticeship have been invaluable to me.  I would definitely recommend doing an apprenticeship as it has given me a vast range of knowledge and, thanks to my Teaching and Learning Coach, it was good fun as well.

Securing the future of Agincare

The apprenticeships provided by Training Now play a key role in guaranteeing the future of Agincare. By recruiting and training incredible people who share our passion for care, we are supporting them to become the leaders and voices for the Health and Social Care sector.

Whether you already work in care, or are looking for a career you can progress in, with Agincare you can access free management and Health and Social Care apprenticeships from Training Now.

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