Training future nurses on the Leeds Future You programme

The Open University has joined forces with Leeds Beckett University and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust to create a new apprenticeship route for experienced and aspiring healthcare workers.

Part of the Trust’s Future You career development programme, the apprenticeship will support the growth of the Trust while providing a new pathway to individuals wishing to launch their career as a Nursing Associate or Registered Nurse.

Students on the programme will initially be employed as Trainee Nursing Associates within the Trust and will study towards a Foundation Degree with work placements across a range of specialities.  After qualifying and working for a year as a Nursing Associate – a patient-centred health worker role which bridges the gap between Care Support Workers and Registered Nurses – they will have the option to complete a further two-years on the apprenticeship to achieve Registered Nurse status.

Students on the programme have the option to study with either Leeds Beckett or The Open University. The OU offers a flexible, tutor-supported route with students learning new skills online alongside their job role, which are then put into practice immediately for the benefit of service users. 

Jill Rounce, OU Staff Tutor in Nursing, said, “This is an innovative project which we are very pleased to be a part of. Leeds Teaching Hospitals have created a wonderful career pathway for healthcare staff and it is great to work with Leeds Becket University staff in the delivery of the professional programmes within these pathways”

The first cohort of students will begin in September, with a second intake starting in January 2021.

For more information about the Future You programme, please visit the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust website. 

For full details about OU nursing apprenticeships, entry requirements and how to apply, visit our website.