- Apprentices at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust share their learning stories
- National Apprenticeship Week celebrations contribution and skills of apprentices
- From medical engineers to student nursing associates, Bolton has a wide-range of apprentice roles
Apprentices working at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust are sharing their passion for supporting patients with their care and keeping essential services running.
The Trust has a wide-range of apprentice roles at both its hospital and community sites, from medical engineers to administrative support and pharmacy technicians to student nursing associates.
Their work is being celebrated as part of National Apprenticeship Week 2026 (9 – 13 February), an annual week shining the spotlight on how apprenticeships and skills help people reach their full potential by breaking down barriers to opportunity.
Mindy Orange is a Student Nursing Associate working in one of the trust’s treatment rooms, supporting patients with minor injuries and illnesses in community health centres.
“The Registered Nursing Associates in the treatment room inspired me to take on the apprenticeship; seeing the impact and difference that they could make to patients.
“The biggest challenge was beginning to do spoke placements; having the confidence to work in other areas with other teams.
“What I loved most was being able to provide better care for my patients’ and understanding more about their conditions and illnesses, and being able to educate and empower them.”
At Royal Bolton Hospital, apprentices Francis Dunne, Jon Anderson, Ryan Fisher and Pete Darley are gaining vital industry experience and skills to become fully qualified medical engineers at iFM Bolton, the Trust’s estates and facilities team who maintain, repair and manage a wide-range of medical devices used in patient care.
Francis said:
“My apprenticeship is helping me in my current role by allowing me to get practical experience as a medical engineer while I study and will make sure I have all the necessary skills to be a fully qualified engineer by the time I’ve completed, rather than knowing all the necessary theory without any actual practice.
“I’ve enjoyed repairing new and unfamiliar medical devices, it always feels rewarding when I discover and solve a problem.”
Jon added:
“I was inspired to start an apprenticeship as I am fond of the idea of learning a career on the job and also getting the necessary qualifications off the job. I’ve always preferred practical learning over classroom based study as it allows me to apply what I’ve learnt instantly, meaning I am able to gain skills, experience and independence.
“This helps me in my current role as gaining on site experience is vital in the industry and the learning process of getting things wrong and knowing exactly where, why and how to rectify it means I can learn from my mistakes instantly. This process develops my self-direction, self-motivation and self-discipline not only for my career but everyday life.”
Pete said:
“It has taught me almost everything I know in relation to my role. From safety standards to the theory behind certain device types and even lessons on how to lead groups, it has given me the skills to progress in my role and the necessary foundations to achieve success in the future in the form of career progression.”
For Ryan, it was the hands-on experience and qualifications that motivated him to apply for an apprenticeship:
“In my year and a half at iFM, I’ve learned a magnitude of new skills that I never would’ve ever thought I could do. Learning skills relating to engineering, which I was a total stranger to, has allowed me to improve the way that I solve problems, giving me a new perspective on the way things work.
“I’ve learned how to repair devices, how to perform preventative maintenance, how to liaise with manufacturers, and how to communicate with other members of staff and the general public to name a few new skills that will help me in the future.”
After four years of working as an Assistant Practitioner with the Paediatric Dietitians, in 2024 Olivia Darby took the opportunity to apply for an apprenticeship to start her journey to become a Registered Dietitian.
“As the years went by, I was given the opportunity to experience the different specialties within dietetics, therefore my passion for the profession grew. When the opportunity to apply for the Apprenticeship in 2024 arose I knew that I couldn’t miss this opportunity.”
“I love to learn and challenge myself both in my job role and university studies. I have particularly enjoyed my placements so far as they have allowed me to build on my knowledge but also highlighted the professional diversification of a dietitian. However, I’ve found the workload, particularly in my first semester, extremely overwhelming and trying to manage this with having a family.”
“It has allowed me to put theory into practice at work as well as strengthening my professional and ethical attributes.”
Leesa Willett, Deputy Services Manager for the Trust’s Community Division, recently received an award for ‘Outstanding Progress’ from the University of Greater Manchester.
“I was inspired to take part in the Chartered Management Degree Apprenticeship because I want to grow as a leader while making a real difference in the NHS. Learning on the job motivates me, and I’m driven to support teams, improve services and build a career that genuinely matters.”
“I have really enjoyed my learning journey it has allowed me to apply new skills and taught knowledge in real situations, see the impact of my work, and grow in confidence as a leader. Each challenge has been an opportunity to learn, reflect and improve.”
Apprenticeships offer routes into many of the more than 350 NHS careers through a mix of on-the-job training and classroom learning.
Find out more about healthcare apprenticeships on the NHS Health Careers website.
