Celebrating growth and dedication: Highlights from our 2026 Apprenticeship Celebration Event
From personal triumphs to service shaping innovation, this year’s Apprenticeship Celebration Event showcased the incredible impact apprentices are already having across our Trust.
Our 2026 Apprenticeship Celebration Event brought colleagues together from across services to recognise the commitment, resilience and achievements of our apprentices. With 181 apprentices currently on programme, spanning 36 different pathways, the event demonstrated how embedded apprenticeship learning has become across every part of our organisation.
Darren Skinner, Director of People and Organisational Development, opened the celebrations with a message that captured the spirit of the day:
“Today is about recognising the dedication, talent and impact of our apprentices. With apprentices contributing across every service and directorate, it’s clear that apprenticeship learning is part of who we are. You bring energy, curiosity and compassion to our organisation, helping us improve the way we work and the care we provide. Thank you for choosing to grow with us, you strengthen our future and the communities we serve.”
This year’s cohort reflects the depth and breadth of development happening across the Trust, from corporate and digital skills to clinical practice, leadership, data, continuous improvement and more. Some of our largest apprenticeship‑engaged areas included Learning Disability Services, Acute Services, Older People’s Services, Eating Disorders, Rehabilitation and Gender Services, all demonstrating what’s possible when apprenticeships become central to workforce development. We also celebrated the first cohort of Occupational Therapist apprentices completing their programmes, marking a significant milestone in expanding access to vital professions.
Our outcomes remain exceptional:
- 90% completion rate, exceeding the national average of 62%
- 85% apprentice satisfaction
- 84% of apprentices retained since 2018
Our speakers brought honesty, humour and powerful reflections to the celebration, sharing what their apprenticeship journeys have meant to them.
Kobe spoke candidly about completing a Level 2 Adult Care Worker apprenticeship and the challenges of early days in the role, including a difficult first shift that left them questioning whether they were in the right job. Kobe described how perseverance, developing strong communication and critical‑thinking skills, and building meaningful relationships with service users made the apprenticeship “one of the best decisions I could have made.”
Gemma reflected on her experience as an apprentice working within the OT improvement space, sharing how adopting a structured improvement mindset transformed not only her confidence but also team practice. She described learning to slow down, understand problems before solving them, and use data to inform decision‑making. One of her proudest achievements was bringing her OT team along through co‑design, making improvements grounded, realistic and sustainable.
Jo shared her journey through a Level 7 Senior People Professional apprenticeship, completing 28 months of intensive study while navigating major personal and professional challenges. She spoke about the importance of lifelong learning, adopting a growth mindset, and embracing discomfort as part of developing confidence. Her experience inspired her to help create a stronger learning culture across the Trust and to encourage others to share their stories.
Standout stars, the Apprenticeship Awards
Nominations this year highlighted a range of inspiring qualities demonstrated by apprentices across services. Themes included:
- Compassion and caring: going above and beyond to support service users and colleagues, stepping in during challenges, and bringing empathy to every interaction.
- Integrity in practice: challenging unhelpful processes, improving systems, taking responsibility and driving evidence‑based decision‑making.
- Leadership and improvement: redesigning pathways, strengthening partnerships, and using data to increase consistency and equity of care
- Supporting others to grow: mentoring apprentices, creating positive learning environments, and shaping the future workforce
These nominations paint a picture of colleagues who show courage, creativity and commitment every day.
Our award winners offered honest and insightful reflections on what their apprenticeship journeys meant to them, each bringing a perspective shaped by their role, service and lived experience.
Dr Sarah Hodgkinson, Senior Forensic Psychologist, Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) Service, and winner of the Simplicity Award, spoke about the surprise and pride she felt in being recognised:
“I was very surprised to win the award and am pleased that I have been able to make an impact that is valuable to my team and the Trust.”
She reflected on how stepping into the world of data and insights has strengthened her practice, adding:
“Data is key in helping us continue to improve as a service and find the best outcomes for our service users.”
Her journey has also helped her grow personally:“The most valuable thing I’ve learned has been linked to increasing my confidence and finding ways to solve problems in different ways.”
She also reflected on developing clearer communication for colleagues, particularly when working with complex information:
“I think about my key message, my audience and the most effective ways this could be communicated… keeping things clear and succinct.”
Her advice to others was rooted in curiosity and openness:
“Be curious about yourself, and open and creative in finding ways forward when things feel stuck.”
Across these reflections, a strong theme emerged: apprenticeships do more than build technical skill, they build confidence, self‑awareness and a deeper understanding of how to influence positive change.
As several winners expressed, reaching out for support, embracing new learning and staying open to challenge were essential parts of their journeys.
Aimee Greene, Senior Occupational Therapist at The Mount, and winner of the Apprenticeship Support Award, shared the joy she finds in supporting apprentices through their learning:
“The most rewarding part has been seeing the apprentices I am mentoring develop… their knowledge, skills and confidence improve from the start of the apprenticeship to now.”
She highlighted the importance of understanding how each learner works best:
“What works for one learner may not always work for another, so it is important to be flexible and adaptable in how you support this learning.”
Aimee also emphasised her commitment to building strong university partnerships to benefit future workforce needs.
A collective achievement
From apprentices pushing themselves to grow, to the managers and mentors guiding them, this celebration showcased the very best of learning and development across our organisation. Apprenticeships are not just building individual careers, they are strengthening services, shaping our future workforce and improving the experience of the people we support.
Congratulations to all of our apprentices, nominees, winners and supporting teams. Your achievements make a lasting difference, and we can’t wait to see what you do next.
Page last updated: 13th Apr 2026 2:19pm