- Department for Education reveals the top 100 apprenticeship organisations, with Priory ranking in the top 40 overall and third in healthcare
- Sunday Times Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers list also published
- More than £2 million invested in apprenticeships at Priory to develop the mental health and adult social care workforce
- Supporting more than 600 apprentices at different levels across the UK
Priory, the UK’s largest independent provider of mental health and adult social care services, has been named among the country’s top 100 apprenticeship employers by both the Department for Education and The Sunday Times.
The organisation, which cares for more than 26,000 people a year across 280 sites, invests more than £2 million in apprenticeships annually, including a pioneering nurse degree apprenticeship programme.
The annual Department for Education’s Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers league table is designed to showcase the best apprenticeship programmes delivered over the past 12 months.
Priory is placed in the top 40 of the list, and is the top three healthcare providers ranked – with rankings based on the quality of apprenticeships offered, the opportunities provided to people from all backgrounds, if they are successfully plugging skills gaps and if they are helping the economy to grow.
Priory also features in The Sunday Times Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers list, placed at number 79. The rankings celebrate organisations that have shown the greatest commitment to apprenticeships over the past year, taking into account the number of new starts, the diversity of apprentices and the number who successfully completed their programme.
Priory is currently supporting more than 600 apprentices across the UK as part of its efforts to develop its health and social care workforce.
Jayne Stutt, Priory’s chief people officer, said: “We believe passionately that care is a career. Our apprenticeships are one of the vital ways in which we invest in colleagues, helping them to progress in their careers and develop news skills. This benefits both the organisation, our colleagues, and the patients and residents we support.
“We work in close partnership with our carefully selected apprenticeship providers to ensure colleagues receive high-quality training and tailored support, increasing the likelihood of both completion and progression.”
Priory has so far supported more than 250 colleagues to qualify as registered nurses through the nurse degree apprenticeship programme, while the first occupational therapist (OT) apprentices graduated last year, with a further 15 student OTs on the programme currently.
Priory is also currently supporting 125 colleagues to complete leadership and management apprenticeships, from Level 3 Team Leader to Level 7 Senior Leader, supporting the development of future managers and senior leaders.
Ms Stutt added: “We’ve also utilised the Coaching Professional apprenticeship to support the implementation of our Coaching Strategy and grow a network of internal coaches. This has enabled us to establish a formal internal Coaching Register and these coaches now play a valuable role in supporting colleagues - particularly aspiring and new managers - on their career development journeys.”
While more than 70% of apprentices are in direct care roles, Priory has expanded its offer to support colleagues in wider roles, including:
- Project management
- IT
- Facilities
- Payroll