Nursing apprentices 'struggling to find jobs'

Nursing apprentices in Somerset say they are facing an uncertain future, despite completing two years of hands-on training and study.

Nursing apprentices Kate Seeley from Cossington and Millie Holley from Taunton are about to finish their studies but say they are struggling to find jobs.

Ms Holley said: "I always advocated for apprenticeships, so to be given the news I didn't have a job at the end was heartbreaking."

A spokesperson from Somerset NHS Foundation Trust has previously said it is "committed to supporting all our apprentices like Millie, both during their training and after they have completed their course".

Both Ms Holley and Ms Seeley started their apprenticeship in September 2023.

Ms Seeley said she turned 50 that year, and thought: "If I don't do it now, I never will."

She said she has worked in health and social care all her life, supporting people at the end of their lives.

"I'm very passionate about looking after someone and their loved ones and giving them the best-quality care I possibly can give," Ms Seeley said.

"It was a juggling act to fit everything in to my life alongside the apprenticeship."

Ms Holley said she came into nursing during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"When I was 17, I was doing covid vaccinations. I slowly started developing a love and passion for taking care of people and wanted to continue," she said.

"Unfortunately things have not gone to plan - there's a lot of uncertainty across the country.

"There just aren't the jobs. There aren't very many posts out there."

Ms Seeley said she does not know where to go after the apprenticeship.

A spokesperson from Somerset NHS Foundation Trust said apprenticeships were still a "vital part" of its staffing plans.

"We continue to invest heavily in the apprenticeship training routes on offer to help our apprentices develop the skills and knowledge needed in a variety of health and care roles across the county," they added.

"We have also maintained steady, successful recruitment of nurses across our services.  

"As a result, this does mean that currently we may not be able to offer the first-choice position for some of our apprentices, but we are working closely with our student cohorts to gain them employment as Nursing Associates and ensure everyone has a role to go into across the trust."

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