Changes to health apprenticeships from 1 January 2014

The changes relate to all apprentices starting on the following apprenticeships in England on or after 1 January 2014:

• Intermediate Apprenticeship in Health (Clinical Healthcare Support)
• Intermediate Apprenticeship in Health and Social Care (Health Pathway)
• Advanced Apprenticeship in Health (Clinical Healthcare Support)
• Advanced Apprenticeship in Health (Healthcare Support Services)
• Advanced Apprenticeship in Health and Social Care (Health Pathway)
• Advanced Apprenticeship in Health (Allied Health Profession Support)
• Advanced Apprenticeship in Health (Maternity and Paediatric Support).

Where the qualification structure includes the following optional units, apprentices must select as below:

• Dementia (apprentices must take either Level 2 Dementia Awareness or Level 3 Understand the Process and Experience of Dementia)
• Mental Health (apprentices must take Level 3 Understand Mental Health Problems)
• Physiological Measurements (apprentices must take Level 3 Undertake Physiological Measurements).

Guided learning hours

As of 1 January 2014, the minimum off-the-job guided learning hours across all of the frameworks listed above will increase. The new calculations are 175 hours for 12-month frameworks and 263 hours for 18-month frameworks. This change also affects the following frameworks:

• Intermediate Apprenticeship in Health (Healthcare Support Services)
• Intermediate Apprenticeship in Health (Emergency Care Assistance)
• Advanced Apprenticeship in Health (Pathology Support)
• Advanced Apprenticeship in Health (Perioperative Support)

For full details, please read this notice from Skills for Health.