NHS Employers responds to the launch of a ‘mitigation fund’ to continue level 7 apprenticeships

Responding to the news that a “mitigation fund” has been created to continue level 7 apprenticeships in 5 health and care professions, Caroline Waterfield, director of development and employment at NHS Employers, said:

“Employers will welcome the news that the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England are supporting a critical number of higher level apprenticeships with funding. The programmes and roles identified are those that are essential to the delivery of the government’s Ten-Year Health Plan published last month - they have a particular focus on prevention and enabling the shift to community delivered care.

“It was extremely disappointing when the Department of Education announced earlier this year that the levy NHS employers pay into to support apprenticeship delivery, could no longer be used for this purpose. This mitigation fund provides a helpful and pragmatic way forward.”