"NHS England has commissioned Middlesex University and partners to establish standardised approaches for recognising previous learning within the healthcare sector, to support people who do not follow a traditional career path." (NHS, 2023). The project focussed on establishing recognition for the Senior Healthcare Support Worker apprenticeship.

"NHS England has commissioned Middlesex University and partners to establish standardised approaches for recognising previous learning within the healthcare sector, to support people who do not follow a traditional career path." (NHS, 2023). The project focussed on establishing recognition for the Senior Healthcare Support Worker apprenticeship.

The National Progression Agreement has been developed to facilitate progression opportunities within the healthcare sector through mutual recognition of the Senior Healthcare Support Worker apprenticeship for entry onto higher education apprenticeship and healthcare programmes including nursing and midwifery. The agreement has been designed to support career progression within the healthcare sector and to contribute to the realisation of the NHS plan to recruit, educate and train the healthcare workforce.

Apprenticeships in England, while defined by level and typical duration, are not quantified regarding the number of learning hours required to achieve the outcomes specified, as with other regulated qualifications and accredited programmes. This paper focused on the healthcare sector, the method used to ascribe credit to the level-3 healthcare support worker apprenticeship but proposes an approach to ascribe credit to apprenticeships recognising both on-and-off-the-job learning to remove some of the existing barriers to accessing higher education and the professions.

This guide builds on the Health Education England ‘Talent for Care national strategic framework’ (HEE, 2014), which included a focus on widening access and participation, diversifying the workforce supply and supporting individuals to develop in their long-term career. The guide is intended to support higher education providers working with their healthcare sector employer partners to establish a nationally consistent approach to recognising the learning that healthcare support workers have gained through work. 

The Move on Up research was intended to produce a clear, reliable and valid picture of the social mobility impact of Middlesex University higher and degree apprenticeships. The research progressed to towards a model which could be used, shared, tested and further developed with other higher education apprenticeship providers across a range of sectors and settings.

Middlesex University collaborated with the Universities Association of Lifelong Learning to commission Carrington Crisp to conduct research the views of employers and learners regarding the future of lifelong learning including apprenticeships. A key finding is that employers expect universities to monitor the development of the professional competence of apprentices, support the integration of on and off the job learning and work closely with employers to identify workplace learning opportunities.

The Consortium has conducted a survey of  healthcare employers to better understand their needs and to inform our approaches to the design and delivery of degree apprenticeship programmes that align with local, regional, and national healthcare needs.