ABSTRACT
Many support workers want to progress their careers and become registered practitioners. However, several barriers stand in their way including a lack of information on where to study and how to apply for degree courses, undeveloped work-based pathways into higher education and lack of support, including financial. Given the shortage of registered staff the NHS faces, not least nurses and midwives, mobilising work-based routes to allow more support workers to enter registered grades is more important than ever. The introduction of the Degree Apprenticeship in 2017 in many healthcare professions creates an opportunity to address truncated career pathways and widen access. Apprenticeship routes into pre-registration degrees sit alongside other pathways including those underpinned by bridging programmes or access courses. Support workers will require other assistance from employers and Higher Education Institutions not just to help them apply for degrees but also through their study. There is evidence of the benefits that widening participation can deliver to employers, not least helping to create a more stable workforce.
