Warrington and Halton NHS Trust provides boost to local apprenticeships

From left to right… Rachel Horwood, Nicola Smith, Louise Kenyon, Deborah Wareing

Warrington and Halton Trust has transferred part of their apprenticeship levy funds to St Mary’s Care Home in Burtonwood which is part of the Marantomark Group. This has supported six dedicated key workers to develop their careers through the Senior Adult Care Apprenticeship programme provided by Riverside College.

The Apprenticeship Levy is paid by businesses with an annual wage bill of £3 million or more and can only be used for apprenticeship training and assessment. Any payments not used within 24 months are recovered by central government – but levy-paying employers can transfer up to 25 per cent of their contributions to support the apprenticeship needs of other businesses.

Jayne Smith, Head of Skills and Enterprise at Riverside College: “It’s brilliant that Warrington and Halton NHS Trust are able to play a key role in supporting additional apprenticeships in this vital sector. It also ensures that the revenue generated by large organisations stays within the local region. We are delighted to be able to broker the levy transfer and be working with St Mary’s Care Home to develop their workforce and help individuals progress their careers in the Care Sector.”

Debbie Wareing, Manager of St Mary’s: “This is a fantastic opportunity the local hospital has provided for our staff and care home. We are delighted to be part of this kind and generous offer. It is so heart-warming that the health Authority can support local homes in this way, especially during such challenging times. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts…”

Maria Marinou, Training Facilitator of Marantomark: “As the Training Coordinator for Marantomark Ltd, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Warrington and Halton Hospital NHS Trust along with Riverside College for inviting Marantomark to be a part of this venture. Taking apprentices who see their future in the caring profession gives our staff support in the knowledge that it is worthwhile spending time and effort working alongside someone who cares. Warrington and Halton Hospital NHS Trust and Riverside College are investing and showing the way forward which is an asset to Marantomark and all employees. A sincere thank you from all of us at Marantomark Ltd.”

Sandra McCann, Apprenticeship Lead for Warrington and Halton NHS Trust: “This was a great opportunity for us at Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals to use our apprenticeship levy to support our partners in primary care. As a Trust, we are passionate about staff development as this enables us to provide exceptional care to our patients, so this was our chance to support and develop staff in a local care home. We have worked hard to facilitate levy transfers to four local primary care providers and look forward to seeing their staff excel at their apprenticeships.”

Businesses who are interested to find out more about apprenticeships and opportunities to transfer or receive levy funds can contact the Apprenticeship Team at Riverside College by calling 0151 257 2828 or send an email to apprenticeships@riversidecollege.ac.uk