Job summary An exciting opportunity has arisen for a talented individual to join our friendly and supportive Learning & Organisational Development team at the Royal Marsden Hospital to lead and manage our apprenticeships and widening participation agenda and deliver the strategic aims as set out in our People Strategy which will support the delivery of the Trust's 5-year Clinical Strategy. This role requires the creation of a range of entry routes that meet the needs of young people and those from diverse backgrounds which could include initiatives such as t-levels or supported internships. You will be supported in this role by a Senior Apprenticeships and Widening Participation Co-ordinator. To be successful in this role you will need a strong background in leading apprenticeships across a complex organisation and have experience in creating innovative apprenticeship-based initiatives in line with workforce development priorities. It would be advantageous if you have also been involved in widening participation activities such as work experience, career promotion events and supported internships. You will need to be passionate about apprenticeships and widening participation, enjoy meeting new people, be creative and innovative, and have the necessary influencing skills, resilience and perseverance to encourage senior leaders to change their standard practice and adopt new ways of working. Interviews will be held in Sutton on Friday 31st January. Main duties of the job At The Royal Marsden we pride ourselves on the provision of high-quality education and training for our staff because we believe it underpins excellent care. The Trust's Learning and Development team is central to this, and we are looking for an exceptional Head of Apprenticeships and Widening Participation to join the team. The post holder will take a Trust wide lead on the delivery of the strategic and operational objectives to embed and expand our apprenticeship offer, use apprenticeships to support career pathways and maximise the utilisation of the apprenticeship Levy. This role will expand the tangible benefits of apprenticeships to develop and upskill new and existing staff, build career pathways and help to address skills shortages and provide new routes into employment for specialist and difficult-to-recruit occupations across the Trust. The post holder will also lead on the widening participation agenda by supporting community outreach work and create meaningful routes into careers in healthcare partnering with local schools, colleges and job centres. This will involve organising attendance at careers fairs, leading and expanding the Trust's Work Experience scheme, creating placements and internships to bridge the gap from work experience into employment and running recruitment campaigns for entry-level posts. About us The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust is a world-leading cancer centre. Our role is to offer our patients the best cancer care available anywhere in the world, and to continue to make a global contribution to finding better ways of diagnosing and treating cancer. We employ over 4,500 staff in a diverse range of careers including nursing, medical, science, radiography, pharmacy, occupational therapy, finance and administrative services. We have two hospitals - one in Chelsea, London, and one in Sutton, Surrey - as well as a Medical Daycare Unit in Kingston Hospital. At The Royal Marsden, we deal with cancer every day, so we understand how valuable life is. When people entrust their lives to us, they have the right to demand the very best. That's why the pursuit of excellence lies at the heart of everything we do. At the heart of the hospital is our dedicated team. We offer a stimulating and dynamic working environment, a wide range of staff benefits, learning and development opportunities and clear career pathways. There are opportunities to work flexibly across a range of areas and specialities and we welcome flexible working requests from point of hire to support employees work life balance. We are looking for employees who aspire to excellence, share our values and can play a crucial role in our on-going achievements. Date posted 03 January 2025 Pay scheme Agenda for change Band Band 8a Salary £59,490 to £66,239 a year per annum pro rata Contract Permanent Working pattern Part-time Reference number 282-OD108-A Job locations The Royal Marsden Sutton Downs Road Sutton SM2 5PT Job description Job responsibilities For further information on this role, please see the attached detailed Job Description and Person Specification. Hold accountability for the Trusts apprenticeship strategy and successful implementation across the Trust Strive to ensure maximum return from the Trusts apprenticeship levy through continuous promotion of apprenticeship offerings Partner with managers in key professions such as finance, IT, Estates and Facilities to increase the take up of apprenticeships for existing staff members and create apprenticeship job roles and pathways for entry-level staff. Maintain awareness of national and regional policy in relation to apprenticeships and widening participation, communicating and implementing changes at trust level as and when required. Work closely with the SWL integrated care board and counterparts in other local employers to develop the apprenticeship offer across the region, identifying areas for partnership working, Job description Job responsibilities For further information on this role, please see the attached detailed Job Description and Person Specification. Hold accountability for the Trusts apprenticeship strategy and successful implementation across the Trust Strive to ensure maximum return from the Trusts apprenticeship levy through continuous promotion of apprenticeship offerings Partner with managers in key professions such as finance, IT, Estates and Facilities to increase the take up of apprenticeships for existing staff members and create apprenticeship job roles and pathways for entry-level staff. Maintain awareness of national and regional policy in relation to apprenticeships and widening participation, communicating and implementing changes at trust level as and when required. Work closely with the SWL integrated care board and counterparts in other local employers to develop the apprenticeship offer across the region, identifying areas for partnership working, Person Specification Education Essential Education to post-graduate level or qualified by demonstrable experience in a directly comparable role Desirable CIPD or education qualification Experience Essential Significant experience in a senior workforce, L&D or education role Experience in leading on apprenticeship provision within a medium or large organisation Experience in managing apprenticeship recruitment campaigns Experience in creating close partnerships with apprenticeship providers to improve the content, structure and quality of apprenticeship programmes Experience in writing high-quality reports including statistical analysis Demonstrable experience in influencing senior leaders to change practice and adopt new approaches Experience creating impactful marketing campaigns Experience of people management Experience of partnering with internal and external stakeholders to deliver workforce projects Desirable Experience running work experience schemes Experience in running recruitment or career promotion events Experience creating work placement schemes or internships Skills Essential Expert knowledge of rules and regulations that govern the apprenticeship levy and the provision of Apprenticeship-based learning Knowledge of best practice approaches in attracting new talent and creating routes into employment Effective interpersonal skills with particular ability to persuade and influence senior leaders Ability to be creative in approaches to marketing apprenticeship offers Knowledge of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion indicators and how widening participation initiatives can contribute to these Ability to work with data and carry out statistical analysis in order to inform approaches Ability to act as an internal consultant, using inquiry-based approaches to understand the business need and develop solutions Ability to manage projects Desirable Ability to deliver presentations Knowledge of apprenticeship employment contracts and governance for work experience and placement schemes Person Specification Education Essential Education to post-graduate level or qualified by demonstrable experience in a directly comparable role Desirable CIPD or education qualification Experience Essential Significant experience in a senior workforce, L&D or education role Experience in leading on apprenticeship provision within a medium or large organisation Experience in managing apprenticeship recruitment campaigns Experience in creating close partnerships with apprenticeship providers to improve the content, structure and quality of apprenticeship programmes Experience in writing high-quality reports including statistical analysis Demonstrable experience in influencing senior leaders to change practice and adopt new approaches Experience creating impactful marketing campaigns Experience of people management Experience of partnering with internal and external stakeholders to deliver workforce projects Desirable Experience running work experience schemes Experience in running recruitment or career promotion events Experience creating work placement schemes or internships Skills Essential Expert knowledge of rules and regulations that govern the apprenticeship levy and the provision of Apprenticeship-based learning Knowledge of best practice approaches in attracting new talent and creating routes into employment Effective interpersonal skills with particular ability to persuade and influence senior leaders Ability to be creative in approaches to marketing apprenticeship offers Knowledge of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion indicators and how widening participation initiatives can contribute to these Ability to work with data and carry out statistical analysis in order to inform approaches Ability to act as an internal consultant, using inquiry-based approaches to understand the business need and develop solutions Ability to manage projects Desirable Ability to deliver presentations Knowledge of apprenticeship employment contracts and governance for work experience and placement schemes Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions. Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab). From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab). Additional information Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions. Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab). From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab). Employer details Employer name The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust Address The Royal Marsden Sutton Downs Road Sutton SM2 5PT Employer's website https://www.royalmarsden.nhs.uk/working-royal-marsden (Opens in a new tab)