Nineteen year old Kristi McCormack has been going from strength to strength since taking up her Business and Administration Apprenticeship within NHS Ayrshire & Arran’s Public Health department earlier this year.
Kristi, from Troon, applied for the Modern Apprenticeship position in May and was successfully recruited to the year-long post which she began in July. She explains: “After leaving school in 2022 I studied at college to become an Early Years Practitioner, however, after finishing the course I realised it wasn’t for me. I was browsing the NHS jobs website and saw that there was a Business and Administration Apprenticeship available. I have always had an interest in these subjects and I enjoyed studying them at school.”
Modern Apprenticeships (MA) offer the opportunity to work and learn at the same time. By the end of the apprenticeship period apprentices not only have the knowledge and skills required for the job role and are competent and experienced workers, but they also have an industry-recognised qualification with a college or learning provider. In Kristi’s case, a Level 6 SVQ in Business and Administration.
Since starting her MA within Public Health, Kristi has had the opportunity to undertake lots of varied work and has become a valued member of the Health Improvement team. She says: “I have really enjoyed my role so far and have learned so much already – I’ve created presentations and certificates, have been managing different email inboxes, attended meetings, taken minutes and shadowed training sessions. I was slightly nervous at first to be the youngest and least experienced in the team but I am always able to ask for help when needed as my colleagues are so supportive of me.”
Laura Thompson, Senior Health Improvement Programme Officer and Kristi’s manager, explains: “With the support of our Employability Team, and the training provider, recruiting an MA has been very straightforward and rewarding. Kristi is a valued member of staff, keeping our training function running smoothly and providing vital administrative support across the department.”
NHS Ayrshire & Arran offers apprenticeship roles for Dental Nurses, Pharmacy Technicians, Healthcare Support Workers and Business and Administration. All apprentices who are employed as a Modern Apprentice are supported to apply for internal vacancies to find permanent employment.
HR Director, Sarah Leslie, says: “NHS Ayrshire & Arran is delighted to be able to offer Modern Apprenticeships to young people like Kristi and give them an opportunity to kick start their career, with a view to progressing within the organisation. Our Employability Strategy is designed to provide opportunities to earn, learn and gain qualifications. We are looking to extend apprenticeship opportunities across all of our job families and view this as an excellent recruitment and retention tool. We wish Kristi every success for the future.”
To find out more about Modern Apprenticeships go to https://www.apprenticeships.scot/become-an-apprentice/modern-apprenticeships/ and to see any current vacancies within the NHS go to https://apply.jobs.scot.nhs.uk.