Staff and apprentices meet in Wolverhampton to celebrate achievements of trust colleagues and departments

The event, which took place in the lecture theatre celebrated the achievements of apprentices at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust (RWT) and recognised the departments which help them to thrive in the workplace.

Parveen Kumar, apprenticeships and workforce development lead for RWT, said: “We would like to congratulate the group on completing their apprenticeships, and acknowledge how this has been achieved while juggling different work, academic and personal priorities. 

“Their success wouldn’t be possible without the support of colleagues across the trust, and we gathered to acknowledge those teams who have helped to develop, grow and upskill the workforce through a commitment to mentoring and coaching our apprentices.”

Special awards from the apprenticeship team went to the finance; estate management; pharmacy; operating department (Theatres) and maternity.

Compliance manager Barry Nicholls, accepting the awards for the estate management team said: "I find apprentices bring with them a fresh outlook, plus different perspectives and skills sets.

“Estates work is often behind the scenes, so people may not be aware of the work we do. We all play a part in creating safe and comfortable environments for our patients and staff, and it’s great to welcome apprentices in to be a part of this important work.

Stuart Mitchell, senior matron for anaesthesia, perioperative and pain medicine, accepted the award for Theatres.

 He said: "We're incredibly proud to be advocates for apprentices, and to develop such individuals through various work-based learning programmes.

“The department has always seized every opportunity to recruit apprentices, as this helps us to develop the next generation of healthcare professionals."

Staff at the event also met with Dr Brian McKaig, chief medical officer, who praised the apprentices for their achievements, while giving thanks to the various departments who supported them.