EBME Forums Forums Management Training APPENTICES.

We are thinking of setting up a formal training
programme for "apprentice" type EBME technicians at our trust.
Hopefully there would be a programme of training with the offer of a job at the end, if a suitable level of qualification etc had been attained.
Does anyone run any such schemes and would they be interested in sharing the pros and cons etc
with us.
The main reasons behind this issue are, im sure the same that you all come across. There just are not the type of candidates in the job market to fill vacancies that we have.
Therefore we may as well train people from scratch and get an end product that will fit the bill.

Funnily enough Karl I was talking to the lads from the RLH when we were down in Birmingham recently.

I think this is the way forward, certainly in our area I think we are all in the same boat.

I think nationally it needs to be addressed but let's start with the small steps first.

In our area we have numerous large hospitals and a good few small to middlin' size.

We also have quite a few EBME departments and we also tend to know each other quite well.

We also have 3 Universities as well as technical training establishments.

What I've thought would be a good idea is what you've proposed Karl but expanded to a "regional" thing.

If, for example, a package of academic training as well as "on-the-job" training was provided for, say, 5 "students" a year we could run with the co-operation of the Educational establishment a proper program for development.

Eventually after a period of development we would be producing qualified/trained technicians who would be able to take up positions within the regional EBME departments.

Whilst they were training they would be gainfully employed within these departments, with rotation they would hopefully develop their skills across different EBME departments.

Lots of things to discuss and I've suggested that we need to get together, there is a manager's meeting at the Countess in January, maybe a good place to start the ball rolling.

Let me know what you think, or the other guys in our area who read this post some comments, maybe I'm way off base again, as per normal.

OOPS!! JUST SPOTTED THE SPELLING MISTAKE.
BUT IM SURE THERE WILL BE NO CRITICS.

We have trained our own technicians, but through day release HNC, equipment courses, and experience on the bench and doing ppm's around the Hospital.

We have recently set up an undergraduate program in Engineering and Medicine at Anglia University for our senior technician. We have been dealing with a lady called Pauline Saggs.

If anyone else is interested in this program, she would like to know.

Apparrently, they did some market research in 1998 and there was very little interest in Engineering degrees aimed at people like us.

If there is enough genuine interest, the university would include it in their prospectus.

John,
Thanks for your advice.
I think we are thinking of going down the road
of employing at GCSE / ONC level and giving relevant training and quals, upto and including HNC. The type of route taken by engineers in industry. As far as degrees are concerned I am
still not convinced on what they prove for someone to do the type of work we do, I think what im trying to get over is that we want people who can use their hands and their brains. If they want to develop to degree level thats upto the individual to pursue later on, uless the powers that be say we need a degree.
I myself dont have one and dont foresee doing one.

We currently take on trainees who are undertaking or have recently completed ONC qualifications. After attaining their ONC and completing a period of 'on-the-job' training they progress on to the MTO scales.

We encourage further academic qualification up to HNC level. From there on further training is with agreement between the powers that be and the individual.

Manufacturers training courses are offered as and when the occasion arises for as many staff as possible to attend - hence a move towards training taking place on site when possible.

Formal 'on-the-job' training is one area which we are trying to develop. At the moment we use a log book to track the work of trainees, which can be used to assess the development and abilities of the trainee. The log book also allows the assessment of any training needs for the future.

The log book is flawed, so we are looking for an NVQ type of training which can be assessed and possible externally verified.

Any ideas or help would be appreciated!

Why should someone need/want a degree to do our kind of work? I'm not being funny and I'm not trying to under-value what we do, by the way.
Come to think of it..what's wrong with City & Guilds qualifications?

cheers

Ah Karl my fellow functional, an excellent conception, May I ask what grade you intend to start these delightful neophyte's. It takes 4 years to acquire a HNC from GCSE, 2 years from ONC. 3 A-Levels are equivalent to an ONC but a guy with A-levels straight out of school is of no immediate use, I suppose we would have to look at the IEE's system of training and grading an EngTech/T.Eng etc. whilst maintaining a minimum duration of training.

Regards

Louis

There is a formal training scheme being discussed by the IPEM. This is to do with the Clinical Technologists state registration. It may be worth contacting them to check on the progress of this.

Hi
At UHB NHS Trust we have just taken on our 3rd apprentice. We use the basic framework of the old training schemes but have linked in with an external company who provide support for putting the trainees through their NVQ level 2 and 3. We also send them to college to obtain their ONC and HNC, as well as external manufacturers training courses. In experience of trying to employ qualified engineers there are just non out there so we believe that this is the only way we can get people interested in the field and we can train them as we require.
If you want any further information of the sort of training we give them i.e. training programmes, phase tests then let me know.