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This week (9-15 February) is National Apprenticeship Week and over 350 apprentices are working in various roles across our local hospitals. 

An apprenticeship helps boost their skills, gain a qualification and a career which will benefit them and support better patient care. 

Lorraine Hammond-Di Rosa, Deputy Chief People Officer at the Trust, said: “Apprenticeships play a vital role in strengthening our workforce. They create clear development pathways in a wide range of areas - from clinical support to business administration, digital roles and leadership.

“For both the Trust and the wider NHS, apprenticeships are a long‑term investment in our future. They support workforce sustainability, help reduce skills gaps, and ensure we continue to deliver safe, high‑quality care. 

“Most importantly, our apprentices bring energy, fresh ideas, and a real passion for patient care. Their learning makes a tangible difference on our wards, within our services, and to the patients and families we support every day.”

The Trust is committed to expanding apprenticeship opportunities and supporting colleagues at every level to develop and grow.

Here are some of those who are already apprentices at the Trust.

 

Tiegan Everitt – Assistant Practitioner apprentice at Basildon Hospital

Tiegan is halfway through her four-year apprenticeship and is a student at the University of Essex. She goes to university one day a week and the rest of the time works at Basildon Hospital with the Speech and Language team.

She said: “While I was working at a primary school, a speech and language therapist came to show me how I could support our non-verbal children. I really enjoyed that experience and wanted to learn more about supporting people with speech and language needs. 

“My younger sister suffered a brain injury when she was little, and I saw the positive difference that speech therapy made to her recovery.”

Tiegan discovered that she was more suited to working than studying, so an apprenticeship was the obvious next step for her. 

She said: “While there is an element of study and written work, I spend most of my time learning on the job from speech and language professionals, putting the theory I learn in my lectures into practice.”

And that can be everything from helping people to get their swallow reflex back to working with patients so they can speak again after a brain injury, stroke or heart attack.

Tiegen said: “The team are very supportive and are happy to let me shadow them so I can learn. They involve me as much as possible in caring for our patients and the best bit of the job is when I can see that we’ve really helped someone with their recovery. 

“We had a patient a couple of months ago who had cheek cancer. I could see he was struggling so I would go in several times every day to help with suctioning and cleaning his mouth so he could talk properly. He came back to hospital a few weeks later and when I went to see him, he said that he had been so grateful for everything I’d done to help him while he was here. That really made my day.”

 

Lisa Maddin, Occupational Therapy apprentice at Southend Hospital 

Lisa is in the final stages of her Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship in Occupational Therapy (OT), with just a few months to go until she completes her four‑year programme and graduates this summer.

Her motivation comes from the care her dad received when he was diagnosed with lung cancer. She said: “The Occupational Therapist who came to our home showed such compassion for him. I never forgot the difference she made at such a difficult time. That really planted the seed for me.

So, when a colleague encouraged Lisa to consider an OT apprenticeship, she jumped at the chance. She said: “It felt like it was meant to be. OT found me.”

For Lisa, taking on a degree level course in her 50s felt daunting at first. She said: “Growing up, university wasn’t really an option for most people I knew. Because of that I was worried about the theory side, but because I was already doing the job clinically, the theory I was learning just made sense.

“Juggling full‑time work, assignments and home life isn’t easy, but my team and mentor have been amazing, as have my family. I always feel supported.”

Once she qualifies, Lisa plans to continue working in OT. She said: “I’m not thinking about retirement yet. I want to put my qualification to full use and continue helping people live meaningful lives. If you’re passionate about something, the learning becomes a pleasure. With the right support and determination, it’s never too late to start a new chapter.”

 

Maia Odd, Senior Leader apprentice at Southend Hospital

Maia began her apprenticeship course, a 20-month programme designed for managers progressing into senior leadership roles, in September 2025 and is due to complete it in April next year.

In her role as superintendent, she leads a team of 22 radiographers and mammographers who deliver the breast screening service for the whole of south Essex. She saw the apprenticeship as the ideal opportunity to strengthen the leadership skills needed in such a demanding role.

One part of the apprenticeship Maia’s valued most is the chance to reflect on her leadership practice. She said: “It validates what you’re doing in your job - building the skills you need as a good manager - and really makes you reflect a lot more on what’s going well and what you can improve on.” 

Despite the pressures of managing a large team and a busy service, Maia feels support is all around her - from colleagues, her training provider and her family. Networking with fellow apprentices has also been a highlight. 

She said: “There are 27 of us on the course and the group is really good. People come forward with ideas and it helps you see that you’re not alone - you’ve all got similar problems, just in different areas.

“It gives you the evidence and the confidence to go for that promotion because you can really show what you’ve done and what you’ve achieved.”