Dozens of apprentices working for West Midlands Ambulance Service are making an ‘outstanding’ contribution in the fight to provide exceptional patient care during the corona virus pandemic.

At any one time, up to 60 apprentices can be learning their trade with the Trust’s non-emergency patient transport service, working on contracts in Coventry, Warwickshire, Birmingham, the Black Country and Cheshire. Assistant Chief Ambulance Officer, Michelle Brotherton, who runs the Trust’s PTS service said:

“Our apprentices have really risen to the challenge during the Covid-19 outbreak. They form part of our PTS crews and have been dealing with both Covid and non-Covid patients during the pandemic, which has allowed us to provide the very highest standard of patient care. 
 
“We see them as exactly the same as our full-time staff.  Only today, six apprentices passed their course and we offered them permanent positions with the Trust. We have an excellent record of supporting our apprentices to achieve all they can.” 
 
Dylan Bamber is a 17-year-old apprentice on the WMAS Cheshire Patient Transport Service contract and is based in Warrington. He hopes to qualify as a paramedic one day - something that many apprentices have gone on to achieve in the past. He added:

“COVID-19 has made things more intense, but we’ve carried out exactly the same job as we did before. I’ve not found it frightening, because you sign up to the job knowing you’re facing potentially fatal diseases."

All apprenticeship roles with West Midlands Ambulance Service are advertised on the NHS Jobs website and you can find more information on the Trust’s website at wmas.nhs.uk.