National Apprenticeship Week sees UHP Apprentice of the Year crowned
Sean Wylie, a Healthcare Science Practitioner Apprentice at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (UHP), has won the coveted UHP Apprentice of the Year title for 2024.
UHP hosted a week-long programme of events to celebrate National Apprenticeship Week which took place from 10 to 16 February. One of the highlights of the week was the crowning of this year’s UHP Apprentice of Year. Sean Wylie, who is currently studying at the University of West England (UWE) for a level 6 apprenticeship as a Healthcare Science Practitioner based in the Radiotherapy Physics department, was presented with the award alongside a surprise from the Radiophysics department.
The Apprenticeships team, who are part of UHP’s Learning and Organisational Development team, celebrate valued apprentices each month, giving out Apprentice of the Month awards. The team then collate the winners from across the year and invite Trust colleagues to vote for the coveted Apprentice of the Year award.
Speaking about his success this year, Sean said: “I am really thankful for winning the award and it was a big surprise to see all of the team there clapping. I am thoroughly enjoying the course, gaining so much experience from it, and the team are really helping me to get the most from the opportunity.”
Sean’s apprenticeship has been designed for him to develop in the field of medical physics and specialise in radiation physics, nuclear medicine or radiotherapy physics. The combination of studying (which has involved travelling up to UWE at times) and working in the department at UHP has enabled him to practice the technical knowledge needed to research, develop, test and maintain specialist equipment used to prevent, diagnose and treat many conditions.
Sean’s Line Manager and Clinical Technologist in Radiotherapy Physics, Leanne Moore, said: “Sean has consistently shown motivation and dedication towards the apprenticeship, this has resulted in him being the first apprentice in the entire cohort at University of West of England to submit the completed portfolio, it was 3 weeks ahead of the deadline and this reflects how he has approached his time management throughout the entire academic year.
“Sean has been reliable and diligent in all aspects of his work and studies and always goes beyond what is asked of him. He has achieved consistently high grades in all assignments this year. Sean is extremely conscientious and has embedded well within the team. He is not the type of person to sing his own successes, so his colleagues would like to do it for him! We look forward to seeing him develop as a practitioner and are very proud of how hard he has been working.”
Corinna Bowers and Leah Brooks, who work on apprenticeships as part of the UHP Learning and Organisational Development team, said: “Each year the competition gets harder and harder for one clear winner, as in reality all of our apprentices are adding so much value to the organisation. But for Sean, the nominations he received demonstrated what an integral part of the Radiotherapy department he has become and how he is achieving such great scholastic attainment on his coursework. Sean is also a great example of degree equivalent programmes giving workplace experience right at the cutting edge of healthcare technology for the benefit of patients.
We are so, so proud of the impact all of our apprentices have on the Trust and with many routes to apprenticeships available it shows how these courses strengthen our workforce.”
UHP offers an extensive range of apprenticeships across the organisation, in both clinical and non-clinical disciplines and regularly celebrate the success of our apprentices. Sean’s win was part of a week-long programme of events focussing on apprenticeships from level 2 to level 7. Events throughout the week included a visit from the City College Plymouth team for a session in the Career’s Hub, which is a jointly run venture from UHP and City College Plymouth, employer encounter events in the community, and certificate presentations for new qualified colleagues.
For more information about apprenticeships at UHP, visit: https://www.plymouthhospitals.nhs.uk/apprenticeships/
