Shropshire care company Coverage Care Services is marking National Apprenticeship Week by promoting its own apprenticeship scheme.

National Apprenticeship Week 2023 is running from 6 to 12 February with the theme Skills for Life. It aims to showcase the benefits that apprentices can bring to local communities, businesses, and the wider economy.

Coverage Care Services, which operates 12 homes across Shropshire, has trained more than 70 apprentices through its dedicated programme.

Sam Woosnam, HR director, said the scheme had a proven track record of developing new staff with the right skills for a life-long career in care.

“Over the years our apprenticeship programme has enabled us to provide a clear path to long-term employment for young people and, for our organisation, it is a vital recruitment tool, particularly in the current climate,” she said.

Coverage Care Services recruiter Paul Bright said: “Attracting new people to the care sector is an ongoing challenge particularly as the jobs market has changed considerably and we just don’t have as big a pool of individuals to recruit from as we once did. However, our apprenticeship scheme is a positive way in which we are able to connect and engage with young people who can take advantage of learning on the job and being paid to do so.”

Mischa Marshall, deputy manager of Lightmoor View care home in Telford, began her career as an apprentice care assistant with Coverage Care Services in 2016 aged 19. “I’d never even stepped foot inside a care home or had much contact with the elderly, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect,” she said. “I remember my first shift well though. I was asked to assist the care team with a lady who was nearing the age of 101 at the time. Just talking to her and making sure she was comfortable and had everything she needed felt so rewarding.”

National Apprenticeship Week is focusing on a different theme every day, including employers, apprentices, parents and carers, and T-Levels.