Sheri Moule – NHS Health & Care Trust

Sheri Moule is a perfect example of how far Apprenticeships can take you in your career.

After leaving school at 16 and deciding Sixth Form and A Levels were not for her, Sheri initially joined the NHS on a Youth Training Scheme (YTS) which is what apprenticeships used to be known as.  She commenced her on the job experience as a YT in the Training Department at Kidderminster Health Care NHS Trust and began her studies in an NVQ Level 2 Apprenticeship in Business Administration.  After achieving this, and finding the vocational qualifications suited her, she moved to the working in the Chief Executives Office, again continuing her apprenticeship status and studying for the NVQ Level 3 in Business Administration.  Loving the learning environment Sheri then trained to become an NVQ Assessor supporting other NHS colleagues through Business Administration NVQ’s and also undertook a Leadership and Management qualification (ILM 1^st Line Management).

Following a period of maternity leave, Sheri took her career and apprenticeship studies a stage further acquiring a NVQ and Diploma Level 4 Apprenticeship in Business Administration in 2018. As an advocate for vocational led studies and her own positive experience as an apprentice, Sheri now champions this approach in her current job role as Apprenticeship Officer for the Worcestershire Health and Care Trust.

Just look where her apprenticeship ‘earning and learning’ career approach has taken Sheri; and yet this still isn’t the end of her story.   Now in her 30’s , her Level 4 qualification has actually meant she satisfied the criteria to be accepted onto a distance learning Degree programme.   Having already completed 1 year, with another 2 years to go, she will then be a graduate in BA in Business.  On her career progression, Sheri said, “apprenticeships provided me with the vocational, real life, on the job experience where I could apply what I learned to my job straight away and suited my style of learning.  I am also proof that apprenticeships provide opportunities for life-long learning and career development..” Sheri’s current role, as Apprenticeship Officer, gives her a unique insight into the employer’s perspective as well as apprenticeships.  On this Sheri commented, “the learning culture within the NHS provides staff with opportunities to continually develop their career options within the organisation.  Staff are then equipped with skills AND experience which are transferable to different departments and enables us to provide consistently high-quality outcomes for the users of the service.  Both the apprentices, and us as the employer, truly benefit from the apprenticeship system in ways that a ‘learning-only’ environment cannot.