Occupational Therapy Apprenticeships

Feb 9

The first occupational therapy degree apprenticeship programmes launched in the United Kingdom in 2019, with many becoming available since.

Through an apprenticeship route, students are able to gain work experience as well as a degree simultaneously.

Apprenticeships allow students to spend 80% of their time at work, and 20% of their time in education. At many universities, this means that a student attends classes once a week and works as an apprentice within an occupational therapy practice setting for the remaining four days a week. In addition, students are granted the same annual leave period that they would qualify for as a full-time employee.

Additionally, throughout the academic year, students are provided with the opportunity to take on placements in other occupational therapy sessions, in addition to their work experience. Students spend a total of 1,000 hours on practice placements in other occupational therapy settings.

At the end of their apprenticeship journey, students graduate with a Bachelor of Science with Honours, BSc (Hons).

As one apprenticeship student at Brighton indicates in his blog:

“I think that the apprenticeship route is a fantastic opportunity because it enables employment security in addition to learning and provides a clear career path. For my employer, the apprenticeship route creates a unique training opportunity to develop the workforce, upskill and motivate passionate people – and with a four-year course on a part-time basis and promotion to qualified clinician after passing the course, it guarantees commitment from an employee perspective.” (Read more about his journey here)

Another occupational therapy apprentice currently studying at Coventry University is currently on placement with a community mental health team. She attends university lectures on Monday and is with the community team for the remaining four days a week. On Mondays she attends various classes, and collaborates with other students in her cohort to enrich her learning, knowledge and experiences. Whilst at work, she is an integral part of the team, having a caseload that is shared with her apprenticeship supervisor, and the opportunity to develop important workplace skills. Through learning and working simultaneously, she is able to put the knowledge she learns in the classroom into practice, immediately applying her learning to the real world.

For example, a few weeks ago after learning about the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO), one of the ways that occupational therapists like to visually understand those they work with, the occupational therapy apprentice was able to apply this model to one of her own patients to help her directly understand the individual’s needs, interests, and preferences. In doing so, she was also able to enrich her understanding of this theory which will be integral for her future academic success as well.

As such, occupational therapy apprenticeships provide a very unique opportunity for individuals to learn and study at the same time. Further, occupational therapy apprenticeships address the need to grow and promote diversity within the occupational therapy profession. Through enrolling in an apprenticeship program, students who would not otherwise be able to undertake their occupational therapy training to do so.

To learn more about occupational therapy apprenticeships, and the apprenticeship model in general, we recommend you visit the below links:

RCOT: Degree Level Apprenticeship in Occupational Therapy

Health Education England (HEE): apprenticeships

The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE)

The future of degree apprenticeships

Apprentice Levy: How it works

Manage apprentice funds

See here for a list of the current Apprenticeship Programmes in the UK: