London Ambulance Service ranked as a top apprenticeship employer

London Ambulance Service is one of the top UK apprenticeship employers named in The Times today.

It ranks at number three in the list of 100 employers – only beaten by the British Army and the Royal Navy.

It is the only NHS organisation in the country to make the top 10.

Simon Qureshi became an apprentice at London Ambulance Service at the age of 49, after a career in IT and then the police.

He said: “During COVID, I had the privilege of driving ambulances as a police officer for two months. I loved it and applied for a full time role at London Ambulance Service.

“It’s the best job in the world. I started as an Emergency Medical Technician and the training has allowed me to progress to become a paramedic and now I’m training to become an Incident Response Officer. You never stop learning.”

Most apprentices join as Assistant Ambulance Practitioners (AAPs) – a role which needs no previous medical experience.

The skills they learn in the classroom are quickly put into practice on an ambulance as they treat patients alongside experienced paramedics.

Recruits can then progress to become an Emergency Medical Technician, which involves further classroom and practical training and is the foundation for the paramedic apprenticeship.

Apprentice Jeilani Bakar (pictured with apprentice Erin Wilkinson) is a trainee Emergency Medical Technician.

He said: “My next step is to the paramedic training course. I’m training on the job while learning and gaining qualifications.

“And once you get your foot in the door at London Ambulance Service, your career can just go up and up.

“This job is so exciting – no two days are the same and there is no better feeling than saving a life.

There are around 5,000 people in frontline roles at London Ambulance Service and more than 750 of those are apprenticeships.

The Service has one of the highest diversity scores in The Sunday Times Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers this year.

Hannah Curror, Head of Clinical Education at London Ambulance Service, said: “We are providing much-needed jobs, training and opportunities for people who want a meaningful and rewarding career.

“By allowing our apprentices to ‘earn while they learn’ we have been able to recruit a new generation of talent and create a pipeline of paramedics that better reflects this city.

“This is building a loyal, resilient and resourceful workforce that will allow us to provide the best care for our patients and help us continue to meet the challenges we face in the NHS.”

London Ambulance Service has been named the top apprenticeship employer by the Mayor of London for three years running.

More information about apprenticeship opportunities at London Ambulance Service can be found here.