Starting January 2021
We are delighted to offer a new Public Health Practitioner Degree Apprenticeship programme from January 2021. With public health now very much in the public eye, as a result of Covid-19, the new apprenticeship is both timely and a very exciting development. This three-year BSc (Hons) degree apprenticeship has been developed through consultation with Public Health England and employers in a range of public health-related fields. It is underpinned by the Public Health Practitioner Apprenticeship Standard https://bit.ly/2KApZiz. At the time the Apprenticeship Standard was being developed we are sure, no-one thought we would be gripped by a global pandemic just a few months after it was published! Against this background, we anticipate being the first UK University to offer the bespoke Public Health Practitioner Apprenticeship Programme. We are hugely excited to welcome our first Public Health apprentices to the University of Salford in January 2021 (first day of teaching 1st February). See our course prospectus for more information: https://bit.ly/3foO5s1
With such an imminent start date, we are of course keen to let as many people – employers and potential apprentices – know about this new opportunity as possible. We’re here to support employers in registering interested members of their teams on to our programme. Our apprenticeship team are a great source of support and ready and eager to guide those already working in public health related roles through the admissions process and onto the programme. They can be contacted at apprenticeships@salford.ac.uk and are very much the first point of contact.
In keeping with all apprenticeships, there are entry criteria. The entry criteria are:
- Two GCSEs at minimum grade C/ grade 4 in English Language and Mathematics. Level 2 equivalents such as functional or key skills can be accepted.
- UCAS 120 points
- European Baccalaureate Pass in diploma of at least 75%
- We also positively welcome applications from students who may not meet the stated entry criteria but who can demonstrate their ability to successfully pursue a programme of study in higher education. Students who do not have the traditional entry requirements may be able to apply through the Salford Alternative Entry Scheme.
How will the apprenticeship run?
Apprentices will spend one day a week (Mondays) on University study (equivalent to 20% off the job training) delivered either digitally or face to face, depending on the ongoing response to Covid-19 by ourselves. They will, over three years, gain a broad level of knowledge, and develop skills and behaviours, in line with the requirements of the Public Health Practitioner Apprenticeship standard. We are looking forward to sharing our expertise to build knowledge and skills across 15 bespoke modules including: Evidence Based Health Promotion; Public Health Intelligence; Designing, development and evaluating Health Improvement Programmes; Commissioning for Health; and, Policy and Strategy in Public Health.
This is a really innovative programme to support the future development of the UK public health workforce. Dr Margaret Coffey, Programme Leader for the programme said:
“We are truly delighted to be at the forefront in relation to offering the Public Health Practitioner Degree Apprenticeship. We see it as a critically important platform for developing the public health talent for the future. We are looking forward to developing strong, positive relationships with employers and line managers to help support the personalised development of each and every apprentice”.
At the end of the three-year degree apprenticeship programme, successful apprentices will be able to register as a Public Health Practitioner. If you’re interested in finding out different types of roles public health practitioners may have, see: https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/public-health/roles-public-health/public-health-practitioner. With the breadth of roles that exist across public health, this degree apprenticeship provides an exciting new route for employers to support, develop and retain the future public health workforce.
For more information, see https://findapprenticeshiptraining.apprenticeships.education.gov.uk/courses/507
We welcome general enquiries about the programme. Please contact: m.coffey@salford.ac.uk
The University of Salford’s School of Health and Society is an institutional member of the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER).