The NHS plans to train over 80% of new operating department practitioners, therapeutic radiographers, and podiatrists through degree apprenticeships by 2031/32, yet no one has systematically studied whether the system can actually deliver that many places. This matters because the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan depends on a massive shift from traditional university courses to apprenticeships, especially in rural and coastal areas where training provision is scarce. Without evidence on what works and what blocks expansion, health service managers and universities risk making costly, ineffective investments. If successful, this research will produce concrete recommendations for how Integrated Care Systems and employers can scale up apprenticeship training feasibly. It will map current provision nationally, identify barriers and enablers from early adopters, and analyse recruitment and completion data across all Level 6 AHP apprenticeships. The findings could reshape how the NHS trains its allied health workforce, particularly in underserved regions, and inform national policy on apprenticeship rollout.
View original technical description
Background and justification: The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan recognises critical workforce shortages and signals wide-ranging plans for reform. By 2031/32, AHP training places will rise by a quarter, with a dramatic rise in degree apprenticeships which will comprise over 80% of all training places for three AHP professions, presenting enormous challenges for universities, systems, and employers. A lack of apprenticeship education provision in rural and coastal areas is a significant barrier to achievement of the aims of The Long Term Workforce Plan. This convergent parallel mixed methods study is a multi-stage stage design to capture vital learning from early adopters of AHP apprenticeships, supporting ICSs and service managers to develop feasible growth plans for the required increases in apprenticeship training. The five stages are: i) Mapping of national AHP apprenticeship programme provision, and analysis of national HEI recruitment, attrition, and completion data for all Level 6 AHP apprenticeships via review of Qualification Achievement Rates (QARs) and National Achievement Rates Tables (NARTS) ii) For all identified HEIs, interview AHP Apprenticeship Leads (n=~20) to explore barriers/enablers to expansion of AHP apprenticeships to meet ambitions of the Long Term Workforce Plan. The focus for this and the following phases will be on AHP professions singled out for significant apprenticeship targets (over 80% entrants through apprenticeships by 2031/32): operating department practitioners, therapeutic radiographers and podiatrists, in addition to professions highlighted ‘of concern’ in our mapping exercise (phase i). iii) Focus groups with national ICS system (n=42) apprenticeship leads and AHP Faculty workforce leads to explore provider feedback and implications of the ambitious apprenticeship targets. iv) Semi-structured interviews (n=~20) with Lead AHPs (place level within the 3 hub regions) to identify organisational barriers/enablers for apprenticeships at place v) Mixed methods synthesis to create recommendations to influence policies for future roll out of AHP apprenticeships at both a national level and across rural and coastal regions.
Plain English summaries and category classifications on this site are generated by AI and may not perfectly reflect the original research.
Is something wrong? Let us know