ATAC welcomes its 400th apprentice

Last month, the multi-award-winning Advanced Therapies Apprenticeship Community (ATAC) welcomed its 400th member. 

The apprentice in question, Jo Steele, Senior Healthcare Technical Officer at NHS Blood and Transplant, begins her Level 5 Operations Manager apprenticeship this coming September. NHS Blood and Transplant was one of the original eight organisations that set up the ATAC programme in 2018 and has remained a cornerstone of the Community since then.

Of her upcoming apprenticeship, Jo said:

I'm really looking forward to starting my apprenticeship next month, excited to see where it takes me
 

ATAC began life back in 2018 as a community of eight employers in advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs), who, following changes to apprenticeship funding and delivery happening at the time, opted to utilise apprenticeships to develop skills in their workforces for the benefit of the industry, which was, at the time, relatively young and in need of a robust talent pipeline of ATMP specialists. Since then, ATAC has taken every opportunity to shout about the value of apprenticeships to the ATMP industry (and beyond). The fact that the employers that comprise the Community have collectively brought over 400 apprentices into their organisations is, however, the best evidence that employers genuinely value apprenticeships and continue to see their impact.

Stephen Ward, Chief Technology Officer, Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, said:

Reaching 400 apprentices is a significant milestone, and a real testament to the vision of the ATAC. From the outset, the ambition was to build a robust talent pipeline for what was then a young and fast-growing industry. That the Community has now brought over 400 apprentices into advanced therapy organisations shows both how far the sector has come and how much employers continue to value the skills, and the people, that apprenticeships bring. I congratulate Jo on beginning her apprenticeship, and everyone involved in reaching this milestone.

Onwards and upwards – to 500!