The staff wellbeing advisor at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust says she is proof of how an apprenticeship can be a fantastic pathway to a successful career.
Laura Westcott, from Tibberton near Newport, knew she didn’t want to follow her friends by going to university, and started exploring other avenues.
“Telford College was holding an apprenticeship day where you could learn about the benefits of an apprenticeship and hear success stories from previous apprentices, so I decided to book onto this.
“After attending, I was 100% certain that an apprenticeship would best suite me as it would allow me to gain a qualification as well as earning whilst learning in a working environment.”
Laura started her career at the Trust in 2016, initially as a workforce transformation apprentice.
“Already within the first few weeks as an apprentice I felt part of the team straight away, and I gradually learnt how to carry out a variety of tasks which went towards my qualification,” she said.
“Throughout my apprenticeship, my level of responsibility increased as I developed my skills and gained confidence.”
Within a year, Laura had gained her level two business administration qualification and been offered a full time post as organisational development administrator.
She then completed a level three business administration qualification and continued to gain what she described as ‘a greater understanding of the working world’.
She added: “Four years on, I am now the staff wellbeing advisor for the trust, where I support the development of the wellbeing programme to improve employee experience.
“Choosing the apprenticeship route was definitely the right choice for me as it allowed me to gain the confidence, knowledge and skills to work my way up through the NHS and secure a career that I enjoy.”
Beckie Bosworth, Telford College’s employer engagement manager, said: “I was Laura’s assessor when she was 16 years old straight from school, and I knew back then that she would go far.
