As Scotland’s health and social care sector faces growing pressure from workforce shortages and an aging population, Foundation Apprenticeships (FAs) in Aberdeenshire are proving to be a vital tool in developing the next generation of NHS Scotland professionals. These innovative career pathway programmes, aimed at senior-phase secondary school pupils, combine academic study with hands-on formally assessed workplace experience, creating a pipeline of skilled, motivated young people ready and able to step into health and social care careers.
Bridging the Gap Between Education and Employment
In Aberdeenshire, Foundation Apprenticeships offer students in S5 and S6 the opportunity to gain qualifications equivalent to at least one Higher while undertaking the theory-based National Progression Award (NPA) in school and industry-recognised Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQ) qualifications while on work placements. This dual approach provides ‘parity of esteem’ between traditional ‘academic’ and industry-related ‘vocational’ qualifications and helps bridge the gap between classroom learning and the practical demands of the workplace. For NHS Grampian, this means engaging young people early, introducing them to the realities of healthcare roles, and fostering long-term interest in careers within the health care sector.
All Scottish colleges and universities recognise FAs as entry qualifications. Aberdeen University, one of Europe’s top medical schools, recognises the Health and Social Care FA as equivalent to an A pass at Higher for entry into medicine – a real indicator of the parity of esteem between the FA and the Higher.
Pathways That Align with NHS Scotland Needs
Several FA pathways directly support NHS Scotland’s workforce priorities:
- Social Services and Healthcare: Provides hands-on experience in care homes, hospitals, and local authorities, preparing students for roles such as healthcare support workers and adult care workers through to a career in clinical nursing and medicine.
- Scientific Technologies: Introduces students to laboratory work and biological sample-testing—skills essential for clinical diagnostics.
- Business Skills; Creative & Digital Media; ITH; ITS and Hospitality: Supports vital non-clinical roles in administration, finance, catering, communications and IT.
The FAs are mapped to real occupational standards and offer clear progression routes into Modern and Graduate Apprenticeships, as well as health and social care degree pathways, ensuring students can continue their professional development beyond school.
A Strategic Response to Workforce Challenges
Scotland’s healthcare sector is experiencing a steady decline in applications for healthcare undergraduate programmes, alongside an ever-increasing demand for services. Foundation Apprenticeships in Aberdeenshire offer a proactive solution by:
- Attracting talent at an early stage: Engaging students before they leave school helps build a sustainable and local talent pipeline.
- Promoting inclusion: FAs are accessible to the widest possible range of learners, including care-experienced young people and those with additional support needs.
- Meeting employer needs: Apprentices arrive with sector awareness and practical experience, easing their transition into full-time roles.
- Building stronger links with local schools and local communities.
- Providing industry experience with employers which helps young people improve their confidence and develop their teamwork and life (Meta) skills so they are better prepared for their next step.
NHS Grampian: Developing Local Talent through Foundation Apprenticeships
In partnership with Aberdeenshire Council, NHS Grampian is embedding Foundation Apprenticeships (FAs) into its workforce strategy as part of its Plan for the Future . As a key regional employer and anchor institution, NHS Grampian is committed to inclusive workforce development, community resilience, and ensuring equitable access to career pathways in healthcare. Supporting and developing FAs is a key commitment in the health board’s ambition of fostering and supporting the development of talented local young people on their first step on a lifelong learning pathway to a career in healthcare.
As with other rural areas, Grampian’s relatively remote geography presents significant challenges. For example, many students who relocate to the North East for university often return home after graduation, and applications to healthcare degree courses have declined year on year. These factors have significantly contributed to the pressure on the clinical workforce.
To address this, NHS Grampian is working collaboratively with local authorities and communities to ‘grow our own’ – identifying and nurturing local talent and encouraging young people to pursue long-term careers in healthcare. This approach supports the development of meta-skills and clinical potential, with the aim of retaining talent within the region. Many of our communities are vulnerable due to their rurality and developing and supporting resilience and capacity in our communities has been a central feature of our partnership working.
Foundation Apprenticeships offer structured placements, mentoring, and person-centred support, giving students meaningful exposure to a variety of clinical roles. This experience helps them make informed decisions about future pathways. For some, this leads to university and college; for others, it opens doors to Modern and Graduate Apprenticeships or direct employment—ensuring every young person has a pathway into the NHS.
Not all students pursue university career routes, and FAs provide valuable opportunities for career exploration, skills development, and alternative progression pathways. Through FA work placement exposure, the young person is enabled to make an informed choice through the experience and mentoring they have received to choose an undergraduate programme that best suits their strengths and ambitions. NHS Grampian’s commitment to this model has been well received by clinical teams, who recognise the enthusiasm, capability, skills and commitment of young people to healthcare careers.
Across Aberdeenshire, Foundation Apprenticeships are a vital entry point for building a sustainable, locally-rooted healthcare workforce. The value of the partnership working in Health & Social Care FAs can be seen with the growth in uptake. Aberdeenshire Council now has over 160 FAs currently undertaking the Health & Social Care FA. Their growing success reflects NHS Grampian’s strategic focus on developing young talent and securing the future of healthcare in the region.
Whether for those who are aspiring to pursue a career in medicine, nursing or a role in social care, the impact of the FA on the young people is significant. The improved outcomes performance data is remarkable;
- On average FA pupils increased their attainment by 70% compared to the Aberdeenshire average.
- 30% attendance increases and 50% increase in engagement in learning for FA students
- 80% of FAs said that completing the FA had made them more confident about their futures
- 51% of FAs said that completing the FA had a positive impact on their mental health
- Improved and Sustained Positive Destinations – over 98%
- Improved employability skills (meta-skills)
The new Foundation Apprenticeship model helps to challenge long-standing misconceptions among employers – such as the belief that “young people aren’t interested in careers in our sector.” In reality, our pupil career aspiration data reveals that health and social care careers are among the most sought-after by senior pupils. The real barrier is not a lack of interest, but ambiguous career pathways—an issue we’re actively addressing through the FA partnership between NHS Grampian and Aberdeenshire Council.
Investing in Scotland’s Future
Foundation Apprenticeships are more than just qualifications – they are a strategic investment in Scotland’s health and wellbeing and a key component of Scotland’s approach to sustainable workforce development. The OECD highlights the ‘Investment Benefits’ and potential costs savings of a national Career Pathways Programme, particularly through collaborative, systemic, inter-authority delivery models.
For NHS Scotland, embedding work-based learning within the education system is more than a skills initiative – it’s a strategic lever for cultivating a confident, capable, and resilient workforce. NHS Grampian’s experience illustrates the value of engaging young people early: strengthening talent pipelines, supporting community wellbeing, and enhancing service delivery across the health sector.
Jane Ewen is Nurse Director, Excellence & Innovation at NHS Grampian and Andrew Ritchie is Lead Officer DYW at Aberdeenshire Council
1 comment
Jonathan Clark
What an inspiring approach that allows young people of all abilities and with differing ambitions, to build their skills and knowledge of work through a model that spans education and employers. Well done to all involved – across the Local Authority, schools, employers and the young people. There is so much to build on here, but I would be really interested to see how this could be scaled with fidelity across Scotland and not watered down into a sink programme for disengaged or ‘underachieving’ young people to ensure the impact is not lost.