Our workforce of the future

As a Trust we offer apprenticeships to both newly recruited, and existing members of staff who wish to develop their career. Our courses range from Level 2 through to Level 7 qualifications.

We believe in investing in the development of our workforce, the workforce of the future, and nurturing talent. Here's why we're passionate about apprenticeships:

  • They provide a platform for our colleagues to grow both personally and professionally.
  • Apprenticeships allow us to attract individuals from all backgrounds, creating a vibrant and inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve.
  • Apprenticeships offer a structured pathway for career progression, ensuring that our workforce has opportunities for growth and development.
  • By investing in apprenticeships, we're investing in the future of healthcare. 

Our apprentices become valuable contributors to our teams, bringing fresh perspectives, enthusiasm, and dedication to delivering quality, safe, and compassionate patient care.

An apprenticeship is a course in individual studies as part of someone's paid job. The focus of an apprenticeship is to equip individuals with the necessary skills and knowledge required for a specific job role.  

At CDDFT you will be working alongside experienced staff and will have a mentor to help and guide you.

Alongside on-the-job training, apprentices spend six hours a week completing classroom-based learning with a college, university or other training provider which leads to a nationally recognised qualification.

Anyone over the age of 16 living in England and not in full time education can apply for an apprenticeship. This includes current employees of the Trust and new starters.

The Trust supports a wide range of clinical and non-clinical apprenticeship programmes, a small selection of which are shown below:

  • Accountancy
  • Advanced clinical practitioner
  • Business Administration
  • Chartered manager degree
  • Customer service practitioner
  • Healthcare support worker
  • Healthcare science practitioner
  • Nursing associate
  • Nursing degree
  • Operational department manager
  • Science industry maintenance technician
  • Senior leader master's degree

Existing staff members can only access apprenticeship courses related to their current job role.

Existing staff

If you would like to apply or request further information on any of our apprenticeships please email: cddft.apprenticeship@nhs.net or visit the apprenticeship page on StaffNet. 

Non-staff and school leavers

We advertise apprenticeships as and when they become available. Please visit and apply via the Government website.

To find an apprenticeship, search by keyword 'Employer'. Enter County Durham and Darlington NHS or CDD, and area (i.e. Darlington).  

By creating an account, you can sign up to be alerted of opportunities in your area of interest and desired location.

For further information, please refer to our apprenticeship FAQs in the 'other useful support and resources' section below or get in touch. 

For more information about apprenticeships, please email: cddft.apprenticeship@nhs.net

Find out more about apprenticeships at CDDFT
Hear from some of our apprentices about their experiences